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TREE-FERNS,    TASMANIA. 


THE 

ISLES  OF  THE  SEA; 

BEING 

AN  ENTERTAINING  NARRATIVE 

OF 

A  VOYAGE  TO  THE  PACIFIC  AND  INDIAN  OCEANS, 

AND  EMBRACING 

FULL  AND  AUTHENTIC  ACCOUNTS 

OF   THE 

ISLANDS  OF  POLYNESIA,  MICRONESIA,  AND  MELANESIA, 

AND   INCLUDING  A 

FULL  AND  COMPREHENSIVE  HISTORY 

OF 

THE  BERMUDAS,  THE   BAHAMAS,    THE   CARIBBEAN   ISLANDS,  ISLES  IN  THE  BAT 

OF    RIO,    THE    FALKLAND    ISLES,     TERRA    DEL    FUEGO,    JUAN    FERNANDEZ, 

THE    GALAPAGOS,    THE    MARQUESAS,    PAUMOTOU,    TAHITI   OR   SOCIETY 

ISLANDS,    SAMOA,    TONGA,    FIJI,    THE    NEW    HEBRIDES,    NORFOLK 

ISLE,  NEW  CALEDONIA,  NEW  ZEALAND,  TASMANIA,  AUSTRALIA, 

PAPUA,    THE    SOLOMON    ISLANDS,    THE    GILBERT    GROUPS, 

THE    HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS,    THE    MARSHALL    ISLANDS, 

THE    CAROLINE    ISLANDS,    THE    LADRONES,    THE 

BONIN  ISLANDS,  JAPAN,  LOO  CHOO,  FORMOSA, 

THE     PHILLIPINES,     BORNEO,     CELEBES, 

JAVA,  SUMATRA,  SINGAPORE,  CEYLON, 

MAURITIUS,    MADAGASCAR,   AND 

MANY    OTHER    ISLANDS, 

TOGETHER  WITH  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THEIR  INHABITANTS. 

BY 

EDWARD  WALTER  DAWSON. 


EMBELLISHED  WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


HARTFORD,  CONN. : 
BETTS   &    CO.,    PUBLISHERS. 

1886. 


COPYRIGHT,  1886, 

BY   BETTS   «fc    CO., 

HARTFORD,  CONN. 


Thf  Vat*,  Lockitmxl  <P  Jtralitard  (%>., 
Printer*,  ftartffitrt.  Conn, 


; 


INTRODUCTION. 


Since  the  days  of  Prince  Henry  of  Portugal,  surnamed  the 
Navigator,  there  have  been  many  books  written  about  the  Isles 
of  the  Sea;  indeed,  were  all  the  works  on  the  subject,  includ- 
ing accounts  of  voyages  of  discovery,  collected,  they  would  of 
themselves  make  quite  a  library.  But  while,  for  the  informa- 
tion they  contain,  many  of  these  works  are  worthy  of  all  com- 
mendation, still,  none  of  them  go  quite  far  enough;  in  truth, 
they  do  not  even  give  us  a  glimpse  of  the  whole  subject;  and 
those  which  come  nearest  to  doing  so  are  either  so  antiquated 
as  to  be  very  rare,  or,  if  obtainable,  practically  of  little  value. 

Missionaries  are  much  given  to  publishing  accounts  of  their 
missions;  and  from  those  who  have  labored,  and  those  who  are 
now  laboring  on  the  isles  of  the  Pacific,  we  have  obtained  some 
most  valuable  information.  But  these  good  men  are  too  apt 
to  confine  themselves  to  their  personal  affairs,  and  the  imme- 
diate fields  of  their  labors. 

Who  ever  heard  of  a  navigator  who  undertook  a  voyage  of 
discovery  that  did  not  afterwards  publish  "  a  full  and  authentic 
account"  of  his  perilous  venture,  with  a  circumstantial  state- 
ment of  all  his  "  discoveries  ".  ?  Such  a  seaman,  I  opine,  never 
sailed  —  never  will  sail.  And  while  the  oceans  have  fairly 
swarmed  with  the  ships  and  fleets  of  discoverers,  and  the 
shelves  of  the  book-stores  have  groaned  with  their  productions, 
still  these  voyagers  have  only  been  able  to  tell  us  a  partial 
story,  and  even  that  has  not  always  been  reliable. 

Naturalists  in  search  of  knowledge,  travelers  seeking  adven- 
tures, invalids  in  quest  of  health,  have  all  given  us  entertain- 
ing —  some  of  them  most  fascinating  —  accounts  of  their  wan- 
derings, and  so  far  as  they  go,  a  large  proportion  of  these 
works  are  particularly  valuable;  but  like  the  missionaries,  their 

(3) 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

authors  do  not  succeed  in  getting  away  from  themselves,  their 
books,  in  great  part,  are  made  up  of  whatever  they  as  individuals 
are  most  interested  in,  whether  it  be  botany  or  bipeds,  corals 
or  craters,  climates  or  cocoanuts.  Then,  too,  in  hardly  any  of 
them  do  we'  catch  even  a  glimpse  of  more  than  a  single  great 
island,  or  at  most,  a  group  of  smaller  ones. 

"To  the  mind  of  eager  youth  and  sober  manhood  almost 
alike,"  says  one  who  has  spent  many  years  in  Polynesia,  "there 
is  an  imaginative  charm  in  the  very  word  island,"  and  the 
writer  never  penned  truer  words;  for  from  the  hour  when  in 
early  boyhood  we  first  take  up  our  "  Robinson  Crusoe "  till 
the  time  in  old  age  when  we  dream  of  a  winter  in  the  Bermu- 
das or  among  the  Bahamas,  or  better  still,  in  Hawaii  or  Samoa, 
the  Isles  of  the  Sea  have  a  peculiar  fascination  for  us. 

With  many  of  these  isles  we  are  tolerably  familiar,  and 
besides  what  we  have  seen  or  read  of  Sicily,  Cyprus,  and  the 
Ionian  Islands  in  the  Mediterranean,  of  Cuba,  Hayti,  and  many 
more  in  the  West  Indies,  of  some  of  the  Dutch  possessions  in 
the  East,  and  the  Hawaiian  group  in  the  Pacific,  of  late  years 
we  have  learned  much  of  the  islands  which  make  up  the 
Empire  of  Japan.  But  there  are  others  of  which,  up  to  the 
present  time,  we  know  very  little,  notably  those  of  the  Caroline 
Archipelago,  the  Marshall  Islands,  the  New  Hebrides,  some 
parts  of  Borneo,  the  Solomon  Islands,  and  other  Papuan 
groups  and  isles,  including  the  great  island  of  Papua  itself. 
Of  all  these  we  wish  to  know  something,  at  least.  How 
eagerly  we  sought  for  information  about  the  Carolines  when 
Germany  undertook  to  gain  possession  of  that  extensive  archi- 
pelago, and  how  little  wo  were  able  to  learn  of  them.  The 
fact  is,  of  many  of  these  groups  and  islands  hardly  a  word  can 
be  found  in  any  book  heretofore  published,  while  others  are 
barely  mentioned  or  incorrectly  described. 

It  has  been  my  aim  in  preparing  this  volume  to  bring  to- 
gether in  one  comprehensive  work  ALL  the  important  isles  of 
the  sea,  and  as  many  of  lesser  note  as  possible,  and  to  give  the 
latest,  the  most  authentic,  and  fullest  information  regarding 
them.  By  extensive  travel  and  persistent  research,  I  have 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

endeavored  to  make  myself  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  sub- 
ject. I  have  consulted  not  less  than  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
four  authorities,  have  examined  innumerable  periodicals,  have 
been  in  correspondence  with  missionaries,  travelers,  and  emi- 
nent men,  among  whom  I  may  mention  the  Rev.  Judson 
Smith,  D.D.,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  to  whom  I  am  under 
special  obligations  for  kind  favors;  Prof.  Jas.  D.  Dana,  of  Yale 
College,  the  Rev.  E.  E.  Strong,  D.D.,  editor  of  the  Missionary 
Herald;  the  late  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Damon  of  Honolulu  —  Father 
Damon,  as  he  was  familiarly  called;  and  the  Hon.  O.  H.  Platt, 
U.  S.  Senator  from  Connecticut.  And  it  is  proper  to  say  that 
no  statement  has  been  accepted  as  a  fact  and  permitted  to  ap- 
pear in  the  work  until  it  has  been  first  carefully  examined 
and  thoroughly  substantiated. 

The  plan  of  the  work  it  is  hoped  will  prove  particularly 
acceptable  and  attractive.  A  learned  professor  and  two  young 
graduates  of  a  New  England  university  make  the  tour  of  the 
world  in  an  elegant  steam  yacht,  and  beguile  the  time,  as  they 
pass  from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  from  island  to  island,  in  conver- 
sations relating  to  the  groups  and  islands  they  expect  to  see. 

The  Professor  represents  his  college,  the  young  men  are 
brothers,  and  the  party  is  in  search  of  an  uncle  of  the  young 
men,  whose  signature  is  necessary  to  make  valid  a  transfer  of 
valuable  property  to  the  university.  When  last  heard  of  this 
uncle  was  residing  on  one  of  the  romantic  isles  of  the  Pacific; 
but  years  have  passed  without  any  word  or  sign  from  him,  or 
any  information  regarding  him,  and  therefore  it  is  necessary 
to  seek  him  out,  or  secure  evidence  of  his  death. 

On  the  passage  through  the  Atlantic  the  yacht  pays  a  visit 
to  the  Bermudas,  which  are  now  becoming  such  a  popular 
winter  resort  for  our  invalids  and  others.  They  also  stop  in 
the  West  Indies,  tarry  for  a  time  in  the  magnificent  Bay  of 
Rio,  learn  something  of  the  Falkland  Islands,  pass  through 
the  Strait  of  Magellan,  and  become  acquainted  with  the  de- 
graded natives  of  Terra  del  Fuego.  Having  emerged  into  the 
Pacific,  they  visit  Juan  Fernandez,  then  stopping  at  Callao, 
hear  news  of  Mr.  Pierpont,  the  party  they  are  in  search  of, 
and  so  steam  to  the  Galdpagos  group.  From  this  point  the 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

seeming  fugitive  leads  them  an  exciting  chase  all  over  Poly- 
nesia, until  at  last  they  come  up  with  him  at  Lahaina,  the 
port  of  Maui,  one  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  when  he  agrees  to 
accompany  them  home.  It  being  necessary,  however,  that  he 
should  visit  Amoy  and  Hong  Kong,  they  return  via  China 
and  the  Indian  Ocean,  thus  passing  through  Micronesia,  and 
learning  much  of  its  coral  isles  and  atolls,  hearing,  too,  some- 
thing of  the  Bonin  Islands,  visiting  Loo  Choo,  seeing  Formosa 
and  Amoy,  and  many  other  groups  and  islands.  Passing 
through  the  China  Sea,  they  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Phillip- 
pines,  gain  some  knowledge  of  Borneo,  and  the  other  isles  of 
Malasia,  and  after  calling  at  Singapore,  steam  through  the 
Strait  of  Malacca,  and  enter  the  Indian  Ocean.  Here,  from 
the  lips  of  the  Professor  and  Mr.  Pierpont,  they  become 
acquainted  with  new  islands  and  groups,  and  at  length,  after  a 
pleasant  passage,  come  to  anchor  in  Table  Bay.  A  day  later 
the  yacht's  head  is  turned  toward  home,  where,  after  calling 
at  St.  Helena,  and  learning  something  of  the  groups  in  the 
eastern  Atlantic,  they  arrive  in  safety,  after  an  absence  of 
more  than  a  year. 

In  describing  islands,  districts,  villages,  and  tribes  in  Poly- 
nesia and  Micronesia,  it  has  been  thought  best  to  adhere  closely 
to  one  set  of  names  and  one  form  of  orthography,  though,  as 
all  students  of  Polynesian  and  Micronesian  history  are  aware, 
no  two  authors  agree  in  these  particulars.  For  instance,  in 
writing  of  the  Marquesas  and  the  Marquesans,  Porter's  Ticuhoy 
is  changed  into  Taiohae  by  Stewart,  his  Taych  becomes  Ten, 
his  Happah  is  Hapa,  his  Typee  is  Taipii  or  Tapii.  and  mattee 
(to  kill,  hurt,  etc.)  is  mate,  and  so  on.  In  giving  the  preference 
to  the  native  names  for  groups,  clusters,  and  islands,  I  feel 
that  I  have  taken  the  only  proper  course;  in  other  matters  I 
have  endeavored  to  follow  the  best  authorities. 

That  tho  volume  may  prove  both  entertaining  and  instruc- 
tive to  tho  reader,  and  that  he  may  feel  that  the  time  bestowed 
upon  it  by  him  has  been  well  spent,  is  the  sincere  wish  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 
233  Orahge  Street, 
New  Haven,  June  2,  1886. 


1  TREE  FERNS,  TASMANIA,     . 

3  NEAR  HAMILTON, 

3  JARDIN  DBS  PLANTS,  .  .        •  . 

4  FOREST  SCENE,  CARRIBEE  ISLES,    . 

5  BAY  OF  Rio,   .  .  .        . 

6  AVENUE  OF  PALMS,  .... 

7  PATAGONIANS,     .... 

8  FUEGIANS,   ...... 

9  A  FUEGIAN  SETTLEMENT,    .  .  . 

10  MOUNTAIN  STREAM,  JUAN  FERNANDEZ,    . 

11  TATTOOED  MARQUESAN  CHIEFS, 

12  NECK  ORNAMENT  OF  A  CHIEF, 

13  MARQUESAN  CHIEF,  .... 

14  KAVA  BOWL,  ..... 

15  FIGHT  WITH  THE  TYPEES,   . 

16  GLEN,  HEAD  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  TIEUHOY, 

17  PIARORO'S  HAND,      .  . 

18  FEATHER  APRON,      .... 

19  KUSAIE,  CAROLINE  ISLANDS, 

20  A  MODEL  ATOLL,      .... 

21  GILBERT  ISLAND  WARRIORS, 

22  MISSIONARY  STATION  AT  APAIANO, 

23  SUNDAY  MORNING  AT  APAIANG, 

24  VILLAGE  IN  THE  KINGSMILL  GROUP, 

25  UNDER  THE  COCOANUT  PALMS, 

26  THE  HUMAN  SACRIFICE, 

27  NATIVES  OF  TAHITI,  .  .  . 


PAGE. 
.  Frontispiece. 
78 

.     . 

96 

(Full  page) 
(Full  page) 
(Full  page) 

101 
105 
109 
121 

. 

122 

. 

124 

,     . 

130 

. 

167 

. 

168 

.     . 

174 

.     . 

189 

.     . 

210 

(Full  page) 

231 
235 

.     . 

283 

(Full  page) 
(Full  page) 

285 
293 
326 

.     . 

328 

.     . 

332 

(Full  page) 
(Full  page) 

343 
353 

388 

.     . 

400 

8  LIST    OF   ILLUSTBATIONS. 

PAGE. 

28  TREE  FERNS,  ...                       .      (Full  page)  419 

29  CLOTH  MAKING,  SAMOA,       .....  435 

30  LEUMANU,  CHIEF  OP  APIA,             ....  448 

31  FANTULIA,  WIFE  OF  LEUMANU,      ....  449 

32  TATTOOING  DAY  IN  SAMOA,             ....  452 

33  GILBERT  ISLAND  MANEABA,            .           .           .           .  455 

34  AN  ISLAND  VILLAGE,            .            .           .      (Full  page)  464 

35  RIVER  YARRA-YARRA  AT  SAINT  HUBERT,           .            .  474 

36  VINEYARD  AT  SAINT  HUBERT,        .           .            .            .  475 

37  ROAD  THROUGH  THE  GUM  TREES,  .           .      (Full  page)  481 
88    THE  WANDERERS,     .           .           .            .           .            .487 

39  CAMP  OF  AUSTRALIAN  ABORIGINES,           .      (Full  page)  489 

40  A  BOTTLE  TREE,       .           .           .            .      (Full  page)  493 

41  A  SOUTH  AUSTRALIAN  ABORIGINAL,          .           .           .  496 

42  BOTANICAL  GARDEN  AT  ADELAIDE,            .           .            .  497 

43  GREEN  JADE  ADZ  AND  CHISEL,      .  .  .  .511 

44  COMMON  STONE  ADZ,            .....  512 

45  Two  FACES:  TATTOOED  CHIEF,  CAPTAIN  BRADFORD,     .  518 

46  MAORI  CHILDREN  AT  PLAY,            ....  521 

47  NATIVES  OF  THE  NEW  HEBRIDES,             .           .            .  532 

48  A  SOLOMON  ISLANDER,         .....  536 

49  CARVED  FEATHER  Box,        .....  538 

50  PREPARING  DINNER,            .....  541 

51  A  PALM  TREE,          ......  545 

52  A  NATIVE  PAPUAN,  ......  550 

53  MALAY  CHILDREN,    ......  554 

54  MALAY  WOMAN  AND  CHILD,           .           .           ..          .  555 

55  A  CELEBES  FOREST,             .....  561 

56  RESIDENCE  OF   THE   OVERSEER   OF  COFFEE   CULTURE 

(Full  page)  563 

57  MANYUEMA  WARRIORS,        .....  565 

58  VILLAGE  OF  THE  MALAY  ARCHIPELAGO,   .      (Full  page)  .  566 

59  AN  ISLAND  FOREST,  .           .           .                 (Full  page)  568 

60  HOUSE  AT  BATAVIA,  ....      (Full  page)  571 

61  SHARK-TOOTH  GAUNTLET,     .....  578 

62  IDOL,  SOLOMON  ISLANDS,     .....  579 
68    INCLOSURE  AND  PLANTATION,  TONGA,       .           .           .  582 

64  DAUGHTER  OF  A  CHIEF,       .....  58* 

65  INTERIOR  OF  A  DWELLING,  TONGA,           .           .           .  587 

66  FIJIAN  CLUBS,  NOB.  1  AND  2,         .         •  .           .           .  606 

67  FIJIAN  CLUBS,  Nos.  8,  4,  AND  5,  .  .  .  .607 

68  A  Buitfe  OR  TEMPLE,  FIJI,  .  •        .  .  .608 

69  ORATOR'S  FLAPPER,  .          .          .          .  .610 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS.  9 

PAGE. 

70  HAWAIIAN  WOMEN,  EATING  Poi,   .           .      (Full  page)  615 

71  HAWAIIAN  GIRLS  AND  PIG,             ....  621 

72  CHIEF'S  HELMET,  HAWAII,             ....  625 

73  KILAUEA,  HAWAII,     ....      (Full  page)  629 

74  WAIKIKI,  NEAR  HONOLULU,             .           .      (Full  page)  633 

75  MAP  OP  MICRONESIA,           .           .           .      (Full  page)  641 

76  MARSHALL  ISLANDERS,         .....  643 

77  PRINCESS  OPATINIA,              .....  646 

78  CAROLINE  ISLANDERS,          .....  649 

79  A  HOME  IN  MICRONESIA,     .           .            .      (Full  page)  653 

80  A  CANOE  HOUSE,  MAKIRA  BAY,     ....  655 

81  HEAD-DRESS,   .......  659 

82  UNDER  THE  BANYANS,          .           .           .      (Full  page)  661 

83  CHINESE  OF  FORMOSA,         .....  664 

84  AMOY, 666 

85  MALAY  CHILDREN,     ....      (Full  page)  669 

86  A  YOUNG  DYAK  GIRL,         .  .  .  .  .672 

87  DYAK  GIRLS,  .....      (Full  page)  673 

88  A  DYAK  VILLAGE,    ......  675 

89  A  VILLAGE  SCENE,  SUMATRA,        .           .      (Full  page)  677 

90  THE  BATANG-HARI,  NEAR  THE  JAMBA,     .      (Full  page)  681 

91  FLOATING  HOUSE  ON  THE  JAMBA,  .           .           .           .  683 

92  A  BRIDGE  OF  INDIAN  REEDS,         .           .      (Full  page)  685 

93  AQUATIC  DWELLINGS,          .....  696 


A  LIST  OF 

THE  GROUPS  AND  ISLANDS 

MENTIONED  IN  THIS  WORK. 


Andaman  chain.  Central  clustei 

Aur  group.  Fayal. 

Tabual.  Graciosa. 

Australasia.  Pico. 

Australia.  St.  George. 

Tasmania.  Terceira. 

Albatross.  Western  cluster. 

Barren.  Corvo. 

Bruny.  Flores. 

Chappell.  Bahamas. 

Clarke.  Andros. 

Flinders.  Atwoods  Key. 

Franklin.  Crooked  Cay. 

Hunter.  Eluthera. 

Maria.  Grand  Bahama. 

Robbins.  Great  Albaco. 

Schouten.  Great  Exuma. 

Three  Hummocks.  Great  Inagua. 

The  Needles.  Harbor  Island. 

Vansittart.  Hog  Island. 

Walker.  Little  Abaco. 

New  Zealand.  Little  Inagua. 

New  Ulster.  Long  Island. 

New  Munster.  New  Providence. 

New  Leinster.  Rum  Cay. 

Austral  Islands.  San  Salvador  or  Cat  Island. 

Oparo.  Spanish  Wells. 

Raivavai.  Turks  Island- 

Rututua.  Watling  Island  or  Guana- 

St.  Elmo.  hani- 
Azores.                                               Balearic  Islands. 

Eastern  cluster.  Majorca. 
St.  Mary.  Bashee  Islands. 
St.  Michael.  Bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

(11) 


12 


LIST   OF   GROUPS   AND   ISLANDS. 


Ilha  das  Cobras. 
Bermudas. 

Castle. 

Coopers. 

Great  Bermuda. 

Ireland  Island. 

Longbird. 

Nonesuch. 

Pagets. 

St.  David's. 

St.  George's. 

Smiths. 

Somerset. 
Bonin  Islands. 

North  Island. 

Peel. 

Stapleton. 
Canary  Islands. 

Ferro. 

Fuerteventure. 

Gomera. 

Grand  Canary. 

Lauzarote. 

Palma. 

Teneriffe. 

Cape  Verde  Islands. 
Caribbee  or  Windward  Islands. 

Barbadoes. 

Granada. 

Martinique. 

St.  Lucia. 

St.  Vincent. 

Tobago. 

Trinidad. 
Caroline  Islands. 
Evalouk  group. 
Kusaie. 
Lukunor. 
Mackenzie  group. 
Matclotus  group. 
Mortlock  Islands. 
Namulouk. 
Nougoura  group. 
Oulleai  group. 
Pelew  Islands. 

Angaur. 


Babelthuap. 

Corror. 

Ewakong. 

Keil. 

Malakau. 

Pelewlew. 

Uruktapel. 
Palaos  group. 
Pingelap. 
Ponape. 

Ruk  or  Hogolu. 
Uap  or  Pillula  Rap. 
Yap. 

Chagos  group. 
Clipperton  or  Sandwich  Islands. 

Clipperton. 

Cocos  or  Keeling  Islands. 
Compton  Rocks. 
De  Peyster  group. 

Nukufetau. 

Oaitupa. 
Elice  or  Ellice  Islands. 

Fanafuta  or  Elice's. 
Falkland  Islands. 

Eagle. 

East  Falkland. 

Grand  Swan. 

Keppel. 

Lively. 

Pebble. 

Saunders. 

Weddell. 

West  Falkland. 
Fiji  Islands. 

Leeward  group. 

Bau. 

Gau  or  Ngau.. 

Kadavu. 

Moala. 

Ovalau. 

Taviuni  or  Somosomo. 

Vanua  Levu. 

Viti  Levu. 
Windward  group. 

Batiki. 

Lakcmba. 


LIST   OF   GROUPS   AND    ISLANDS.  13 

Rewa.  Molokai. 

Galapagos  Islands.  Niihau. 

Abingdon.  Oahu. 

Albemarle.  Hervey  or  Cook's  Islands. 

Barrington.  Aitutaki. 

Charles.  Anota. 

Chatham.  Hull. 

Hood's.  Mangaia. 

Indefatigable.  Manki. 

James.  Manual. 

Narborough.  Mitiero. 

Tower.  Raratonga. 

Wenman.  Remitera. 

Gilbert  Islands.  Takutea. 

Northern  group.  Hoapin  su. 

Apaiang.  Indian  Archipelago. 

Butaritari.  Baly. 

Maiana  or  Hall's.  Borneo. 

Makin  or  Pitt.  Celebes. 

Marakei  or  Matthew's.  Flores. 

Tarawa  or  Knox's.  Java. 

Kingsmill  group.  Lomblue. 

Apamama.  Lombok. 

Byron.  Madura. 

Drummond  or  Taputeouea.  Singapore. 

Koria.  Sumatra. 

Maneba.  Banca. 

Manouki.  Engano. 

Nanouki.  Poggi  Islands. 

Sydenham.  Pulo  Babi  or  Hog  Island. 

Great  Britain.  Pulo  Nias. 

Greater  Antilles.  Rupat. 

Cuba.  Sibiru. 

Hayti  or  San  Domingo.  Sipora. 

Jamaica.  Sumba. 

Puerto  Rico.  Sumbawa. 

St.  Croix.  Timor. 
Greenwich  group  —  30  low  coral   Japan. 

islands.  Juan  Fernandez. 

Hawaiian  Islands.  Juan  Fernandez  or  Mas-a- 

Hawaii.  Terra. 

Kahoolawe.  Mas-a-Fuera. 

Kauai.  Santa  Clara. 

Lania.  Keeling  or  Cocos  Islands. 

Maui.  Lacardive  Islands. 

Melokini.  Ladrones. 


14  LIST   OF   GROUPS   AND   ISLANDS. 

Aguijan.  Mandioly. 

Asuncion.  Morty. 

Bird  Islands.  -Mortir. 

Guaru.  Oby. 

Pagon.  Ternate. 

Rota.  Tidore. 

Saypou.  Amis. 

Tinian.  Kei  Isles. 

Leeward  Islands.  Timor  Laut. 
Loo  Choo.                                          New  Caledonia. 

Loyalty  Islands.  New  Caledonia. 

Madeira  Islands.  Isle  of  Pines  or  Kunie. 

Desertas.  Walpole. 

Madeira.  New  Hebrides. 

Porto  Santo.  Ambrim. 

Madjico  Sima  Islands.  Annatom. 

Maldive  Archipelago.  Aurora  (disappeared). 

Marquesas  Islands.  Banks. 

Northern  cluster.  Erromango. 

Fatunhu.  Espiritu  Santo. 

Nukahiva  or  Madison.  Mallicollo. 

Shotomiti  or  Franklin.  Tanna. 

Uahuga  or  Washington.  Vate  or  Sandwich. 

Ua'poa  or  Adams.  Whitsuntide. 
Southern  cluster.                        Nicobar  Islands. 

Fatuhiva  or  Magdalena.          Orinoco,  Delta  of  the 

Iliwaoa  or  Dominican.  Papuian  Islands. 

Motaue.  Admiralty  group. 

Tohuata.  Admiralty  or  Basco. 

Marshall  Islands.  Matthias. 

Radack  chain.  Dampier's  group. 

Ralick  chain.  Louisiade  Archipelago. 

Ebon.  New  Britain. 

Mulgrave  Islands.  New  Ireland. 

Odia.  Hanover. 

Otdia.  Papua. 

Molucca  or  Spice  Islands.  Jobie. 

Ccram  group.  Mysory. 

Amboyua.  Salawaty. 

Banda  Isles.  Waygion. 

Booro.  Paumotou. 

Ceram.  Anaa  or  Chain  Island. 

Gilolo  group.  Aratica  or  Carlshoff. 

Batrhian.  Arulua  or  Ilurick  Islands. 

Gilolo.  Clermont    de    Tounerre    or 

Makian.  Minerva. 


LIST   OP   GROUPS   AND   ISLANDS.  15 

Disappointment  group.  Saint  Felix  Islands. 

Otooho.  Ambrosia. 

Wytoohee.  St.  Felix. 

Glouchester  group.  Samoa  or  Navigators  Islands. 

Hau  or  Bow  Island.  Anuu. 

Houden,    Henuake,    or   Dog  Apolima. 

Island.  Manua. 

Katiu  or  Sacken.  Manono. 

Kawahe  or  Vincennes.  Ofee. 

King  George's  group.  Oloosinga. 

Ahii  or  Peacock.  Savaii. 

Manhii.  Tutuila. 

Oura.  Upolu. 

Tiokea.  Islets  (uninhabited). 

Kings  Island.  Namoa. 

Krusenstein's.  Niulapo. 

Makima.  Nutali. 

Manga  Rever  or  Gambier  Is-  Nuulua. 

lands.  Rose. 

Metia  or  Aurora.  Taputapu. 

Nairsa  or  Dean's.  Scilly  Islands. 

Pitcairn.  Seychelle  group. 

Raraka.  Solomon  Islands. 

Serle  Island.  Bougainville. 

Tetuaroa.  Cboiseul. 

Philippine  Islands.  Guadalcanal 

Bohol.  Malayta. 

Cebu.  New  Georgia. 

Leyte.  San  CristovaL 

Luzon.  Santa  Isabella. 

Mindanas.  Sooloo  Archipelago. 

Mindoro.  Tahiti  or  Society  Islands. 

Negros.  Tahitian  cluster. 

Panay.  Eimeo  or  Moorea. 

Samar.  Maiaoiti. 

Phoenix  Islands.                        .  Maitia. 

Arthur.  Tahiti. 

Enderby's.  Tetuaroa. 

Hull.  Society  cluster. 

McKean.  Borobora. 

Phosnix.  Huahine. 

Sidney.  Marua  or  Maupiti. 

Queen  Charlotte's  or  Santa  Cruz  Otaha  or  Tahaa. 

Islands.  Raiatea. 

Santa  Cruz.  Tubai. 

Vanikora  or  Recherche.         Taiysu  group. 


16 


LIST   OP   GROUPS   AND   ISLANDS. 


Terra  del  Fuego  and  Vicinity. 

Cape  Horn. 

Clarence. 

Dawson. 

Desolation. 

Narborough. 

St.  Inez. 

Statenland. 

Terra  del  Fuego. 

"Wollaston. 
Tonga  Islands. 
Tonga  cluster. 

Eooa. 

Tonga. 
Harpi  cluster. 

Haano. 

Lefooga. 

Tefooa. 
Vavao  cluster. 

Hoonga. 

Vavao. 
Union  group. 

Bowditch  or  Duke  of  Clar- 
ence. 

Fakaafo. 

Gente  Hermosa  or  Swain's. 

Nukunono. 

Oatafu  or  Duke  of  York. 
West    Indies    (see    subordinate 
groups). 

SINGLE  ISLANDS. 

Ady. 

American  Island. 

Amoy. 

Ann  Etc. 

linker's. 

Binnie's. 

Bird  Island. 

Bourbon  or  Reunion. 

Caiulu. 

Ceylon. 

Cocos. 

Cornwallis. 


Curnana. 

Cyprus. 

Dawson  (north  of  Marshall's) 

Duncan. 

Egmont. 

Formosa. 

Gallego. 

Greenwich. 

Hong-Kong. 

Howlands. 

Iceland. 

Ireland. 

Jarvis  (south  of  the  Herveys). 

Jervis  (near  equator). 

Johnston. 

Lisboa. 

Madagascar. 

Maidens. 

Malta. 

Mall  on. 

Mary's  Island. 

Massachusetts. 

Mauritius  or  Isle  of  France. 

Metia. 

Newfoundland. 

Niue  or  Savage  Island. 

Ocean  Island. 

Palmyra. 

Ponynipete. 

Quiros. 

Reunion  or  Bourbon. 

Rodrique. 

Rose  Island. 

St.  Brandon. 

St.  Helena.  ' 

St.  Paul's  (Atlantic). 

St.  Paul's  (Pacific). 

St.  Pedro. 

San  Lorenzo. 

Savage  Isle  or  Niue. 

Sicily. 

Solitary  Isle. 

Tracy's  or  Oaitupu. 

Tromeliu. 

Wilson  Island. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AN  EMBARRASSING  WILL. 

The  Pierpont  Homestead  — The  "Green,"  the  pride  and  boast  of 
the  University  town  —  The  brothers  —  Their  conversation  in  the 
library  —  A  perplexing  question  —  An  interruption  —  Warren 
Worthington  —  The  proposed  munificent  gift  to  the  University 

—  The  conditions  —  The  wanderer  —  Truman  Pierpont's  Will.     35 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  QUESTION  SOLVED. 

Professor  Ezekiel  Singleton  —  His  pet  theory  —  His  solution  of 
the  perplexing  question  —  A  magnificent  offer,  and  an  agreeable 
condition  —  The  Albatross  —  Captain  James  Bradford  and  his 
first  officer.  Jasper  Morgan  —  A  pleasant  visit  on  board  the 
floating  palace  —  An  interview  with  the  owner  of  the  Albatross 

—  A  sensation  in  the  University  world  —  Aunt  Grace  envious 

—  The  young  divinity  student  and  his  sisters 43 

CHAPTER  III. 
THE  BERMUDAS. 

Getting  under  way.  —  Misery  of  the  first  days  at  sea  —  The  cap- 
tain decides  to  call  at  Bermuda  —  The  Professor  opens  his  stores 
of  knowledge  —  Islands  named  in  honor  of  their  discoverer, 
Juan  Bermudez  —  Visited  by  Gonzales  Oviedo  —  Bermudez  at- 
tempts to  stock  them  with  hogs  —  Prevented  —  The  groups 
never  seen  by  Columbus  —  Their  situation  and  formation  — 
Coral  reefs  —  First  settlements — Wreck  of  the  Sea  Adventure  — 
Building  of  the  Deliverance  and  the  Patience  —  The  commemo- 
rative cross —  Sir  George  Somers's  return  to  the  islands  —  His 
untimely  death  —  Panic-stricken  colonists  abandon  the  settle- 
ment —  New  attempts  to  colonize  the  islands  —  Search  for  am- 


18  CONTENTS. 

bergris  — Virginia  Company's  charter  extended  by  King  James  I. 
to  embrace  Bermuda  —  Islands  sold  to  the  London  Company  — 
Governor  Moor's  administration  —  Scarcity  and  want  —  Pota- 
toes and  tobacco  first  cultivated  —  Islands  divided  into  tribes 
and  shares  —  Governor  Moor  recalled  —  Governor  Tucker  ap- 
pointed—  An  important  era  —  A  Frenchman  hanged  —  Discon- 
tent and  desertion  —  The  first  slaves  —  The  slave  trade  —  The 
first  General  Assembly.  . 48 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  BERMUDAS  — CONTINUED. 

The  climate  of  Bermuda  —  A  quotation  from  Tom  Moore  —  The 
influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream  on  the  climate  —  Rain  and  fog  — 
Effect  of  the  climate  on  agricultural  produce — The  most  agree- 
able season  of  the  year — Winds  —  Form  of  government  —  Popu- 
lation—  Party  spirit  —  Fish  and  fishing  —  The  most  esteemed 
fish  —  Their  brilliant  colors  —  Peculiar  fashion  of  baiting  a  hook 

—  A  "full  bait"  —  The  fisherman  taking  it  easy  —  Some  curi- 
ous fish  —  Description  of  Bermuda  —  The  number  of  islands  — 
Names  of  the  more  important  —  Eight    "tribes"  —  Hamilton 
and  its  general  aspect  —  The  stores  —  The  dwellings  in  the  sub- 
urbs—  The  heights  beyond  the  town  —  Mount  Longton  —  The 
Government  House  —  Public  buildings — "Land,  hoi"    .        .     59 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  BERMUDAS  — CONCLUDED.     THE  BAHAMAS. 

Innumerable  isles  and  islets  —  A  scene  of  rare  and  wondrous 
beauty  —  The  harbor  of  Hamilton  —  The  signal  flag  —  A  multi- 
tudinous welcome  —  Front  street  —  First  impressions — "No 
backmen  about "  —  The  Hamilton  Hotel  —  St.  George  —  A  fine 
harbor  —  Narrow  streets  —  A  deligltffully  insane  old  place  — 
The  ocean  drive  —  Harrington  sound — The  Devil's  Hole  — 
Plenty  of  fish  —  Farewell  to  Bermuda  —  The  run  to  the  Baha- 
mas—  The  island  of  New  Providence  —  Nassau  —  The  North- 
ener's  affection  for  the  "honest  town"  —  The  number  of  the 
Bahamas  —  The  more  important  —  Their  area  —  Population  — 
Products  —  Climate  —  Government  —  Guanahani  or  Cat  Island 

—  The  Aborigines  —  Their  treatment  by  the  Spaniards  —  Strug- 
gle between  Spain  and  England  for  the  possession  of  the  group 

—  Coming  to  anchor  —  A  natural  breakwater  —  A  safe  harbor 

—  The  sail  to  the  town,  —  Streets  of  Nassau  —  Poor  taste  of  the 


CONTENTS.  19 

citizens  —  The  Royal  Victoria  Hotel  —  A  grand  excursion  —  Re- 
turn to  Nassau  —  The  Government  House  —  Statue  of  Colum- 
bus—  The  silk-cotton  tree  —  Negroes  —  Their  employment  — 
The  public  library  —  Pirates  —  American  tories  —  Nassau  dur- 
ing the  Rebellion  —  England  made  to  pay — A  case  of  special 
providence  —  The  sponge  yard  —  Hopetown,  the  home  of  the 
descendants  of  the  buccaneers  —  The  Greater  Antilles  —  The 
Windward  Islands  —  The  Leeward  Islands  —  Is  Guanahani,  or 
"Watling's  Island,  the  true  San  Salvador  ?  —  The  professor  wants 
time  to  decide 71 

CHAPTER  VI. 
MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

Course  laid  for  the  Lesser  Antilles  —  Martinique  —  The  isle  of 
romance — Wild  and  savage  scenery — Origin  —  Mont  Pelee — 
Earthquakes — Area —  Productiveness —  Climate  —  Population 

—  Trade    controlled    by    France  —  Government  —  Railway  — 
Island  discovered  by  Columbus — Beautiful  St.  Pierre — The  view 
from  the  sea  —  Canals  in  the  streets  —  A  negro's  gift  —  A  strange 
freak  —  A  fountain  that  discharges  wine  and  fish —  An  extra- 
ordinary sight  —  The  Jarden  des  Plants — The  dreaded  "iron 
lance  "  —  The  mango  d'or  —  The  old  jail  —  A  corpse  wills  prop- 
erty to  the  city  —  Shrewd  officials — Honest  people  —  Strange 
customs  —  High-toned  society —  Fort  de  France  —  Statue  of  the 
Empress  Josephine  —  Trois  Isles  —  Traditions  —  Airnee  Dubuc 
de  Rivery  —  Her  romantic  story  —  A  slave  and  a  sultana  —  The 
Obeah  superstition  —  Barbadoes  —  Its    importance  —  Situation 

—  Climate  —  Productiveness  —  Mont  Hillaby  —  A rea  —  Popula- 
tion denser  than  any  country  but  Malta  —  Rapid  increase  of  the 
blacks  —  White  population  at  a  stand-still  —  Petroleum  —  Car- 
lisle  Bay — Coral  reefs  —  Fearful  hurricanes  —  Bridgetown  — 
King  James's  gift  —  Jamestown  —  Government  —  Discovery  of 
the  island —  When  first  settled  —  Plots  to  seize  the  island  —  Off 
for  Rio  de  Janeiro—  Plans  for  the  future  —  The  professor  takes 
to  his  studies,  and  the  brothers  to  books  and  charts  —  At  the 
entrance  to  the  Bay  of  Rio 87 

CHAPTER  VII. 
RIO  DE  JANEIRO  — THE  FALKLAND  ISLANDS. 

The  Bay  of  Rio  —  Fleets  from  all  nations  —  Food  for  reflection 
for  Americans  —  One  of  the  finest  harbors  in  the  world  —  United 
States  Minister  —  Letters  from  home  —  Important  news  —  City 


20  CONTENTS. 

of  Rio  de  Janeiro  —  Fine  streets  —  Public  buildings  —  The 
Imperial  Library  —  The  sea  wall  —  Dry  docks  —  Avenue  of 
Palms  —  Commerce  —  Population  —  Off  for  the  Strait  of  Magel- 
lan—  The  Falkland  Islands  —  Their  number  —  Bays,  inlets, 
and  rivers  —  Climate  —  No  trees  —  Products  —  The  warrah  or 
•wolf  fox — Wild  animals  — Stanley,  the  only  settlement  —  The 
discoverer  —  Darwin's  opinion  —  Trouble  with  the  United 
States  —  Killing  wild  cattle — Came  con  cuero  —  Fuel — Start- 
ing a  fire —  "Dinner  is  ready." 103 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

STRAIT  OF  MAGELLAN  AND  TERRA  DEL  FUEGO  — JUAN 
FERNANDEZ. 

The  voyage  down  the  South  American  coast  —  At  the  head  of  the 
sirait —  The  passage  invaluable  for  steamers  —  Its  length  — 
Fish  and  game  —  Grand  and  gloomy  scenery  —  Terra  del  Fuego 
The  Fuegians  — Naked  and  miserable  —  A  feast  of  whale  blub- 
ber— Eating  their  old  women  —  The  peninsula  of  Brunswick 

—  Dawson     Island — Clarence    Island  —  Mount     Taru  —  Port 
Famine  —  Cape  Froward  —  Mount   Sarmiento — Cape   Horn  — 
Desolation  Island  —  Trading  posts  —  Cape  Tamar — The  Nar- 
borough  Islands  —  Cape  Pilares — The  Pacific  Ocean  —  Juan 
Fernandez —  Size  —  Santa  Clara  —  llas-A-Fuera —  Origin  of  the 
islands  —  El   Yanque  —  Picturesque  appearance  of  Juan  Fer- 
nandez —  Cumberland    Bay  —  The    settlement  —  Goats  —  The 
buccaneers  —  Wild  hogs  —  Fruit,  vegetables,  and  poultry  — Wild 
horses  and  asses — Horned  cattle  and  sheep  —  No  reptiles  — 
Robinson    Crusoe's    cave  —  Alexander    Selkirk's    story  —  His 
lookout — The  tablet  —  Selkirk  not  the  first  man  left  alone  on 
the  island  —  Returning  to   the  settlement  —  Replenishing  the 
yacht's    larder  —  Farewell  to  Robinson   Crusoe's  island  —  St. 
Felix    and    Ambrosia  —  San    Lorenzo — Callao  —  Visit  to  the 
United  States  consul  —  Stephen  Waylaud  —  Tidings  of  Lyman 
Pierpont  —  Parting  from  new  friends  —  Off  for  the  Galapagos 
Islands 119 

CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  GALAPAGOS  GROUP. 

Once  more  on  the  quarter-deck  —  The  Galapagos  —  Owned  by 
Ecquador  —  Discovered  by  the  Spaniards — The  name  —  Albcr- 
marle  —  The  other  islands  —  All  volcanic  —  No  active  volcanoes 

—  Craters  seen  in  action  —  Recent  formation  of  the  group  — 


CONTENTS.  21 

Some  islands  formed  later  than  others  —  Climate  Effects  of  the 
Peruvian  current  —  Curious  phenomenon  —  Droughts  —  Inhab- 
itants—  Floriaua  —  Loss  of  trade  —  The  cause  —  Animal  and 
vegetable  forms  peculiar  to  the  islands  —  Problem  presented  — 
Domestic  animals  —  Birds  —  Their  extreme  tameness  —  Curious 
reptiles  —  The  land  tortoises — Their  great  size  —  Lizards  — 
The  only  marine  saurian  of  our  epoch —  Porter's  description  of 
the  great  land  tortoise  —  Eugene's  disgust  —  Charles  Island  — 
The  governor  —  Fresh  tidings  of  Lyman  Pierpont  —  The  turtle 
pen  —  The  conference  —  The  decision  —  Visit  to  the  settlement 

—  Sweet  potatoes  and   bananas  —  Pigs  and  goats  —  The  gov- 
ernor's lament  —  Return  to  the  yacht  —/The  professor's  delight 

—  Snakes  —  Few  insects  —  Shells  —  No  coral  reefs  —  Remarka- 
ble vegetation —  Turtle  soup  and  turtle  steaks  —  No  signs  of 
the  Roter  —  Chatham  Island  —  The  brothers  meet  several  mon- 
ster tortoises —  Eugene's  queer  ride — flis  fall  —  Indefatigable 

.and  Albermarle  Islands  —  Great  Amblyrhynchus  —  The  two 
species  —  A  fruitless  search  — Return  to  Charles  Island  —  News 
of  the  Rover  —  The  governor  made  happy  —  The  start  for  Nu- 
kahiva  —  Eugene  eats  land  tortoise  and  likes  it.  .  .  •  .  137 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  BROAD  PACIFIC  — THE  MARQUESAS  ISLANDS. 

Eugene  studies  the  chart  of  the  Pacific  —  Course  of  the  Albatross 

—  Three  islands  :  Gallego,  Duncan,  and  Clipperton  —  A  vast 
expanse  of  ocean  —  St.  Paul's  Island  —  The  captain's  promise 

—  The    Marquesas  —  Their    situation — Two    clusters — Their 
number  — -  Population  —  Names  — Formation  —  General  descrip- 
tion —  Climate  — Rainy  season  — Droughts — Vegetation — Fauna 

—  Birds  —  Mussels  —  The  people  —  Are  they  a  branch  of  the 
Caucasian  race  ?  —  Their  appearance  —  Size  and  strength  of  the 
men  —  Artificial  complexion  of  the  women  —  Tattooing — So- 
cial organization —  The  taboo  —  The  privileged  classes — Poly- 
andry —  Conjugal    affection  —  Cannibalism  —  Kava  —  Its    bad 
effects  — Healthf ulness  of  the  people  —  Most  prevalent  diseases  — 
Dress  —  Houses  —  Regard  for  the  dead  —  No  history  —  Posses- 
sion claimed  by  France  —  Chester  finds  a  bit  of  history  —  A 
profusion  of  names  —  A  beautiful  picture  —  Commodore  Por- 
ter's   story  —  Uahuga  —  Naked   natives  —  Trading  —  Value  of 
iron  hoops  —  Surprise  at  first  sight  of  large  animals  —  The  Gal- 
apagos tortoise  —  Old  men  compared  to  highly  wrought  old 
mahogany  —  Professional    tattooers  —  Beautiful    girls  —  Their 
modesty  —  "Sail  ho!"         .        .        «. 152 


22  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
NUKAHIVA— A  BATTLE  WITH  A  NATIVE  TRIBE. 

Again  on  the  quarter  deck  —  Porter's  story  continued  —  Readies 
Nukahiva —  Massachusetts  Bay  —  Joined  by  the  Essex  Junior 
—  Three  white  men  come  aboard  —  An  Englishman  turned 
Polynesian  —  Appointed  interpreter  — Porter  lands  with  marines 
and  sailors  —  Natives'  pleasure  at  the  sound  of  drums  —  Aston- 
ishment at  the  regular  movements  of  the  men  —  Effect  of  the 
sound  of  fire-arms  —  War  between  the  tribes  —  Destroying 
property  and  bread-fruit  trees  —  Convenient  messengers  —  The 
Hap  pahs  warned  —  An  understanding  with  the  Tayehs  —  The 
princess  Piteenee  —  The  chief  Gattanewa  —  Manner  of  fortify- 
ing a  place  —  The  women  take  possession  of  the  boats  and  ship 

—  Bedlam  —  The  object  of  the  greatest  value  in  the  Marquesas 
group  —  Astonishing   statement  —  Sandal-wood  —  Its    value  — 
Gattanewa  visits  the  Essex  —  His  appearance  —  A  victim  to  Kava 

—  Not  impressed  by  Porter's  force  —  Roused  from  his  lethargy 
by  the  sight  of  a  whale's  tooth  —  Receives  one  as  a  present  — 
Porter  exchanges  names  with  him  —  Begs  the  Commodore's  assist- 
ance in  his  war  with  the  Happahs  —  His  sophistry  —  The  Com- 
modore takes  up  his  quarters  on  shore  —  The  Happahs'  insult- 
ing message —  The  six-pounder  —  The  Tayehs  hug  and  caress 
the  gun  for  joy  —  Work  on  the  ship  —  Mouina  the  war  chief 

—  His  satisfaction  at  the  effects  of  musketry  —  The  Happah's 
still  bent  on  war  —  A  force  ordered  against  them  —  The  battle 
in  the  mountains  —  Capture  of  the  fortress  —  The  dead  Happahs 

—  Gattanewa's  astonishment  —  The  taboo  —  Cannibalism  — Gat- 
tanewa's  wife  —  Terrified  women  —  Porter  re-assures  them  — 
He  receives  a  remarkable  piece  of  information.      .    .        .        .  169 

CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  VALLEY  OF  TIEUIIOY  — THE  TYPEES. 

The  story  resumed  —  Rejoicing  over  the  victory  —  Eating  raw  fish 

—  Language  of  the  Marquosans  —  A  tradition  —  Inability  to 
pronounce  English    names  —  Cocoanut  trees  —  Gathering  the 
fruit  — Taro  —  Sugar  cane  —  More  about  Kava  — The  bread-fruit 
tree  —  Its  uses  and  importance  —  Treaty  with  the  Happahs  and 
other  tribes  —  They  build  a  village  for  Porter  —  He  and  his  men 
live  in  plenty  —  The  Typees  and  their  allies  —  Their  defiance  — 
War  resolved  on  —  Porter  builds  a  fort  — Takes  possession  of 
the  island  for  the  United  States  and  calls  it  Madison  Island  — 


CONTENTS.  23 

Gives  names  to  important  points  —  An  excursion  —  A  village  — 
The  public  square  —  Women  and  young  girls  —  Their  appear- 
ance —  Remarkable  complexion  and  great  beauty  —  Their  atten- 
tions to  the  guests  —  Urged  to  remain  —  Songs  and  dances  — 
The  return  to  the  ship  —  Ready  for  war — The  departure  for 
the  valley  of  Vieehee  or  Oomi  —  Arrival  —  The  Typees  and  their 
allies  in  force  —  The  landing  and  advance  —  Skirmishing  — 
Lieutenant  Downes  wounded  —  The  Typees  make  a  bold  stand 
—  Serious  obstructions  —  A  grave  situation  —  A  feint  —  A  slight 
advantage  —  The  retreat  —  The  Typees  elated  —  The  Commo- 
dore resolves  on  a  new  line  of  action  —  The  night  march  —  On 
the  mountain  tops  —  Rain  —  An  anxious  night  —  Daylight.  .  185 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  WAR  WITH  THE  TYPEES. 

A  volley  from  the  mountain  top  —  Astonishment  of  the  Typees 

—  The  Happah  village  —  Suspicious  actions  of  the  Happahs  — 
Summary  measures  —  Friendship  reestablished  —  Taking  up  the 
line  of  march  —  The  beautiful  valley  as  seen  from  the  mount- 
ain—  A  delightful  scene  —  The  descent  —  Meeting  the  enemy 

—  A  village   captured  —  More    fighting  —  A    brave    people  — 
Burning  villages  —  The  capital    taken    and    destroyed  —  The 
march  down  the  valley  —  Plunder  —  Skirmishing  —  Wonderful 
fortresses  —  At  the  beach  —  Tribes  send  in  their  submission  — 
Returning  to  the  Happah  village  —  A  friendly  reception  —  Gat- 
tanewa's  emotion  —  Another  view  of  the  valley  —  A  long  line 
of   smoking   ruins  —  Desolation    and    horror  —  Return  to  the 
valley  of  Tieuhoy  —  The  Typees  come  to  terms  —  A  profusion 
of  presents  —  Peace  established  throughout  the  island  —  Excur- 
sions—  Distributing  seeds  —  Partiality  for  wheat  —  Other  gifts 

—  Chief  place  of  worship  —  An  astonishing  god  —  Marquesans 
idea  of  a  future  state  —  Selling  their  gods  and  the  bones  of  their 
relatives  —  Children  in  religion  —  Porter  tabooed  —  Tattooing 

—  Each  tribe  tattooed  after  a  different  fashion  —  Preparing  for 
sea  —  Stooping  liberty  —  Discontent  of  the  men  —  Grief  of  the 
girls  —  Porter  sails  with  two  ships  —  A  part  of  his  force  left 
behind  —  What  happened  after  he  left  —  His  defeat  —  His  recep- 
tion at  home—  "  The  Hero  of  the  Pacific.'.'  .  206 


24  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

UAHUG  A  —  NUK  AHIVA. 

The  professor  finds  many  corroborations  of  Porter's  statements  — 
The  Vincennes'  visit  to  the  group  —  Uahuga  —  Description  — 
Sudden  appearance  of  the  natives  —  Their  excitement  —  A  scene 
of  wild  and  picturesque  beauty  —  Invitations  to  land  —  Music 
by  the  band  —  Its  wonderful  effects  on  the  islanders —  The  ap- 
proach to  Nukahiva —  Tower  Bluff  —  Bay  and  valley  of  Oomi, 
the  home  of  the  Typees  —  A  visit  from  the  Happahs  —  At  war 
with  the  Typees,  as  usual  —  The  new-comers  invited  to  espouse 
their  cause  —  Valley  of  Tieuhoy  —  Its  great  beauty  —  Grandeur 
of  the  mountain  scenery  —  Site  of  Porter's  encampment  — 
Swarms  of  natives  —  Arrival  of  the 'chieftains  —  Prince  Moana 
—  The  regent  Haape —  The  chief  Piaroro  —  His  striking  appear- 
ance — ' '  Music  halh  charms  "  —  The  Captain's  taboo  —  Sur- 
prised women  —  A  strange  ship  —  The  regent's  house  —  Habita- 
tions of  the  people  —  Their  bleached  thatching  —  Its  remarkable 
appearance  —  The  wife  of  Haape — His  female  relatives  —  The 
bed  of  the  whole  family —  Other  furniture  — Eager  for  presents  — 
An  excursion  —  A  profusion  of  useful  trees  —  A  tahua  or  am- 
phitheat'<e  —  A  meae  or  temple  —  The  chaplain  followed  by  ad- 
miring crowds —  Effects  of  the  taboo  On  the  women  and  common 
people  —  Tabooed  food  —  The  tabooed  class  jealous  of  their 
dignity  —  Strange  cause  for  deadly  vengeance  —  Nice  distinc- 
tions. .  227 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  MARQUESANS:  THEIR  HABITS  AND  AMUSEMENTS. 

The  Tahuas — Dancing  and  the  dancers — Strange  customs — A 
scene  such  as  Cook  beheld  —  Gracefulness  and  taste  of  the  na- 
tives—  The  favorite  hue  —  Turbans  —  Dress  of  the  females  — 
Their  beauty  —  Their  wonderful  complexion  —  Drums  —  Male 
singers  —  A  Marqucsan  Adonis  —  His  dress  —  Boy  dancers — 
Their  strange  dress  —  Female  singers  —  Koika  —  Passion  of  the 
people  for  amusements  —  Kaioi — The  chaplain  retires  from  the 
talma  in  disgust  —  Pure  heathenism  —  Traditions  —  Origin  of 
the  islands  —  Origin  of  men  and  fish  —  Knowledge  of  other  isl- 
ands—  Introduction  of  the  cocoanut  tree  —  Americans  and  Eu- 
ropeans regarded  as  gods  —  Porter  a  very  great  god  —  Not  a 
trace  of  his  occupation  to  be  found  —  Visit  to  the  Typees  — 


CONTENTS.  25 

Suspicious  of  the  strangers  —  The  cause  —  Messenger  of  peace 

—  Good  feelings  established  —  "The  chief  of  the  gods"  —  His 
compeer  in  civil  life  —  A  false  rumor  —  Good  advice:  Cultivate 
the  art  of  peace  — ' '  With  Opotee  it  was  all  fight  "  —  An  inter- 
esting scene  —  Confidence  of  the  Typees  won  —  They  sleep  on 
board  the  ship  —  A  visit  on  shore  —  Much  ceremony  —  The 
Tana's  house  —  Fair  promises  —  A.meae  —  A  doubled-face  god 

—  A  study  for  an  artist  —  Another  interesting  scene  —  A  walk 
inland  —  Manifestations  of  ill  will  —  Flight  to  the  shore  —  A 
mystery  —  The  Bay  of  Oomi  —  Valley  of  Hakapoa  —  Visit  to 
Tanatini,  the  prophet  of  the  Happahs  —  Sail  ho  !  — "It  is  a 
schooner,  and  American  built!  ".  .  245 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CORALS  — ATOLLS. 

The  chase  —  The  Columbia  —  News  of  the  Rover  —  Good  advice  — 
Uahuga  in  sight  —  The  Bay  of  Tieuhoy  again  —  Natives  and 
Frenchmen  —  Mr.  Clark  —  A  week  on  the  island  —  Few  signs 
of  advancement  among  the  natives  —  The  lack  of  progress  due 
to  the  French  —  Influence  of  American  missionaries  for  good  — 
The  United  States  and  England  to  blame  for  having  suffered 
France  to  gain  such  a  foothold  in  the.Pacitic  —  Among  the  Ty- 
pees—  Startling  news  from  the  yacht  —  The  hasty  return  — 
Flight  of  the  Borer  —  The  pursuit  —  Among  the  Marquesans — 
The  truth  flashes  on  Eugene  —  A  perfidious  Frenchman  —  Head- 
ing for  the  Paumotous  —  Corals  —  Many  species  —  Variety  of 
forms  and  hues — "Nothing  but  limestone" —  '1  he  red  coral  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  Red  seas  —  Black  coral — Millepora- — Fer- 
nante  Imperato — Peysonnel  —  Coral  blossoms  belong  to  the 
animal,  and  not  the  vegetable  kingdom  —  A  zoothome  —  A 
polyp  —  Coral  the  stony  frame  of  the  polyps  —  How  the 
polyps  are  reproduced  —  Brain  coral  —  Star  coral  —  Other 
varieties  —  In  many  corals  the  living  portion  is  but  a  thin  outer 
part  of  the  mass  —  Corals  widely  distributed  —  Limits  of  coral 
reefs  —  Range  in  depth  of  reef -forming  corals — Coral  found 
thousands  of  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  sea  —  Darwin's  the- 
ory—  Darwin  supported  by  Dana  —  The  bottojn  of  the  ocean 
slowly  subsiding  —  The  hint  given  by  the  Gambier  Island  — 
How  reefs  and  atolls  are  formed  —  Captain  Herandeen^s  evi- 
dence —  Ponyuipete  Island  —  Evidences  of  a  lost  race* —  Stone 
walls,  temples,  and  forts  sinking  out  of  sight  —  An  ancient 

stone  quarry  —  Heedless  of  the  flight  of  time 264 

2 


26  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

KUSAIE  — COMPLETED  ATOLLS. 

Kusaie  —  The  small  island  —  Ancient  canals  —  Remarkable  stone 
walls  —  Wonderful  ruins  —  Ignorance  of  the  natives  on  the 
subject  —  Captain  Bradford's  theory  —  The  ancient  stronghold 
of  pirates  —  A  reasonable  explanation  —  How  coral  islands  be- 
come nearly  circular  and  filled  in  —  Swain's  Island  —  Jarvis's 
Island  —  Dead  reefs  —  Barrier  reefs  —  Paumotou  a  vast  island 
cemetery  —  The  completed  atoll  —  Coral-made  land  literally 
sea-bom  —  A  model  atoll  —  The  inhabitants  of  atolls  —  Fakaafo 
or  Bowditch  Island  —  A  type  of  a  large  part  of  the  coral  islands 

—  Among  the  last  discovered  —  Islanders  ignorant  of  any  other 
land  or  people  —  The  whites  taken  for  gods  from  the  sun  — 
Dread  of  the  natives —  Soon  become  familiar  —  Primitive  fash- 
ion of  dress  —  The  sacred  house  —  The  Deity  —  Oataf  u  or  Duke 
of  York's    Island  —  The  inhabitants — Their    chief  village  — 
Houses  —  Quays  —  Duke  of  Clarence  Island  —  Henuake  or  Dog 
Island  - —  A  fascinating  description  —  Tame  birds  —  Droll  sights 

—  Hermit  or  soldier  crabs  —  Chester  gets  the  soldier  and  the 
robber  crab  mixed  —  The  Professor  corrects  him  —  He  appeals 

to  Darwin  —  Acknowledges  'defeat 384 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PAUMOTOU  ARCHIPELAGO. 

The  French  interest  in  Paumotou  —  Catholic  mission  at  Mau- 
gareva  —  Population  of  the  group  —  Anaa  or  Chain  Island  — Its 
dense  population- — How  acquired  —  Abundance  of  food — In- 
fluence of  the  missionaries  —  "Out  of  darkness  into  light"  — 
Distributing  presents  —  Shaved  heads  —  Cleanliness  next  to 
godliness  —  Fine  children  —  The  bane  of  the  islanders  —  A 
comical  old  chief  —  His  munificent  present  —  Mysterious  sick- 
ness— The  chief's  brother  in -law  —  A  deep  lagoon  —  Amusing 
leave-taking  —  Some  islands  of  the  group  —  Tetuaroa  —  Metia 
or  Aurora  —  An  uplifted  island  —  Wonderful  caverns  —  Meager 
history  of  the  Ptnimotous  —  Hau  or  Bow  Island  —  The  ambi- 
tious Tomatiti  —  Advance  In  civilization  —  Few  advantages  for 
trade  —  The  pearl  fishery  —  Native  divers  —  First  sight  of  a 
cpral  island. —  King  George's  Island  —  Mauhii  —  Ahii  —  Course 
laid  for  Tahiti .307 


CONTENTS.  27 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS. 

Ellice's  group  —  Its  appearance  —  Size  —  Native  name  —  Inhab- 
itants — De  Pyster  Islands  —  Tracy's  Island  —  The  Union  group 

—  The  Gilbert    Islands  —  Character  of  the  inhabitants  —  Mr. 
Bingham's  testimony — Gilbert  Island  warriors  —  Their  weapons 
and    armor  —  Apaiang — Reception  of    the  first    missionaries 

—  "Happy  Home"   and    its    surroundings  —  Sailing    on  the 
lagoon  —  Preaching  in  the  maneabas  —  Interruptions  —  Women 
and  their  dead  —  A  skull  as  a  constant  companion — Strange 
burial  place  —  Effects  of  toddy  —  The  first  church  —  Sunday 
morning  on  Apaiang  —  Climbing   cocoanut  trees  —  The  Pan- 
danus  tree  —  Papai  —  Native  houses  —  The  Surf -boat  —  Tarawa 

—  A  tempest  —  A  perilous  feat  —  Marakei  —  A  lovely  coral  isle 

—  A  printing  press  —  Its  good  work  —  A  Gilbert  Island  boy  — 
His  astonishment  at  the  sight  of  mountains  and  streams  —  His 
ruin  —  The  deadly  eifect  of  the  climate  —  The  Gilbert  Islands 
of   to-day  —  A  grain    of  ^comfort  —  The   southern  cluster  or 
Kingsmill  Islands  —  The  inhabitants  —  Madin  or  Pitt  Island  — 
Houses  —  Maneabas  —  War    and    weapons    of  war  —  Dress  — 
Powrers  and  privileges  of  the  chiefs  —  Eating  an  enemy  —  Pre- 
serving skulls 323 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  KINGSMILLS  AND  OTHER  CORAL  ISLANDS. 

Taputeoueaor  Drummond  Island  — The  inhabitants — Great  thieves 

—  Sometimes  eat  human  flesh  —  Weapons  —  Jealous  women  — 
Some  good  points  —  A  Gilbert  Island  gentleman — Vegetation 
of  coral  islands  —  The  cocoanut  palm  —  Its  many  uses  —  Not 
found  on  coral  islands  never  inhabited  —  The  Pandanus  —  The 
Pisonia  —  Other  trees  and  plants  —  Rose  Island  —  Other  Islands 

—  Drinking  water  on  coral  islands  —  Wells  fenced  with  special 
care  —  Curious  water  cavern  on  Ocean  Island —  Strange  super- 
stition—  Water  famines — Pumpkins  —  A  beautiful    island  — 
Water  on  the  Gilbert  Islands  —  Taro  plantations  —  Fresh-water 
fish  —  Otdia  —  Tabual  —  Rain   the  source  of  water  supply  — 
Birds  —  Their  fearlessness — Their  habits  —  Their  vast  numbers 
Service  sometimes  required  of  the  tropic  bird  —  Game  birds  — 
Social  habits  of  the  birds  —  Fish  —  Drift  logs — Stones  brought 
in  roots  —  Pumice  and  resin  — Volcanic  ashes  —  A  coral  island 


28  CONTENTS. 

a  poor  place  for  human  development  —  Limited  productions 
and  poverty  of  language  —  Speculations  —  The  one  mineral  — 
Earthquakes  and  storms  —  Houses  secured  to  trees  and  stakes 
—  Dividing  a  storm  —  Thanks.  .  ...  349 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

TAHITI  OR  SOCIETY  ISLANDS. 

Discovery  —  The  name  of  thegroup  —  Names  of  the  several  islands 

—  Their  mountainous  character  —  Picturesqueness  —  Delightful 
streams  —  Habitations  of  the  islanders  —  Climate  —  Fruits  and 
vegetables  —  Botanic    garden  —  Cotton    and    coffee  —  Natives 
averse  to  work  —  Animals  —  Birds  —  Domestic  fowl  —  Origin 
of  the  natives  —  Beauty  of   the  women  —  Appearance  of  the 
men  —  Population  —  Foreigners — Tattooing   no    longer    prac- 
ticed—  Importations  and  exportations —  Papiete — Public  build- 
ings—  Harbor  —  Early  history  of  Tahiti  —  Pomare  II. —  Mis- 
sionaries—  Queen  Pomare  —  French  Catholic  priests  expelled 

—  Arrival  of  the  French  man-of-war — Unjust  and  arbitrary 
proceedings  —  Flight  of  the  queen  —  The  French  firmly  estab- 
lished —  Death  of  the  Queen  —  Last  king  of  Tahiti  —  The  an- 
nexation to  France  —  Brilliant  festival  —  The  Areoi  society  — 
What  is  known  of  it  —  Original  character  —  Belief  —  Pernicious 
effect  on   the  people  —  Convenient  fictions  —  Only  redeeming 
point  —  Human  sacrifices  —  The  ceremonies.      .        .        .   ,    .  869 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TAHITI  — SAVAGE  ISLAND. 

First  glimpse  of  Eimeo  —  Tahiti  —  Papiete  harbor —  The  Ameri- 
can consul  —  Captain  Joseph  Beach  —  The  ladies  at  the  consulate 

—  News  of  ihe  Itover  —  The  excursion  party  —  The  start  —  The 
maneabas  or  district  houses  —  Appearance  of  the  country  —  A 
glimpse  of  Eimeo  —  A  lovely  village  —  Crystalline  streams  — 

The  village  girls  —  Their  sweet  singing  —  Tender  adieus  — 

—  Coffee  and  cotton  plantations  —  The  wild  guava  —  Mango 
trees  —  Some  credit  due  the  French  —  A  stroll  in  the  orange 
groves  —  Bathing  with  lady  assistants  —  A  fish  dinner  —  Cray- 
fish—  A  bamboo  cage  —  The  peninsula  —  A  delightful  drive  — 
A  ball  —  Arrival  of  the  Rover — Daniel  Kirby  (he  mate  —  An- 
other disappointment  —  Niue  or  Savage  Island  —  Situation  — 
The  Niuans  —  Former  reputation  —  A  terrible  law  —  The  fate 


CONTENTS.  29 

of  all  travelers  —  Paint  —  Appearance  —  Dress  —  Ornaments  — 
Weapons  —  Warlike,  but  not  conquerors  —  Fate  of  invaders  — 
Not  cannibals  —  Temperate  —  Polygamy  —  Work  of  the  mis- 
sionaries —  Morals  —  Punishments  —  Good  sailors  —  Dwellings 
—  Disposing  of  the  dead  —  Caverns  —  Fresh  water  —  Character 
of  the  island  —  Traditions  —  Dinner.  .  .  394 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  HERVY  GROUP  — THE  SAMOAN  ISLANDS. 

Captain  Beach  makes  a  proposition  —  An  excursion  to  Eimeo  — 
Wonderful  beauty  of  the  island  —  Tree-ferns  —  Atamanu  grove 
Great  changes  —  Farewell  to  Tahiti  —  The  Hervy  group  —  The 
several  islands  —  Raratonga —  The  natives  —  The  Captain's  ex- 
perience—  Missionaries  —  John  Williams  —  His  unhappy  death 
The  Australs  —  The  Samoan  Islands  —  The  daughters  of  Sa- 
moa —  Why  called  Navigators  —  The  isles  of  the  group  —  Area 

—  Situation  —  Sudden  appearing  and  disappearing  of  a  volcano 

—  Great  age  of  the  Islands  —  Ancient  ruins  —  A  stone  quarry  — 
Wonderful  caverns  —  Remarkable  springs  and  lakes  —  Quiros 
Island  —  Climate  and  vegetation  —  Appearance  of  the  isles  from 
the  sea  —  Trees  —  The  banyan  —  Other  trees  —  The  paper  mul- 
berry—  Cloth  making  —  Ava  and  ava  drinking  —  Shrubs  and 
flowers  —  Climbing  ferns  —  Fruits  and  vegetables  —  Their  abun- 
dance —  Bread-fruit  —  Yams  —  Taro  —  Indigo — Nutmeg  — Ani- 
mals —  Birds  —  The    dodo  —  Pigeons  —  Kingfisher  —  Vampire 
bat— Reptiles  —  The  crowing  snake 416 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  SAMOAN  ISLAND  —  CONTINUED. 

The  Samoans  —  A  high  type  of  their  race  —  Fine  appearance  of 
the  men  —  Beauty  of  some  of  the  women  —  Not  warlike  — 
Averse  to  labor  —  Not  ambitious  for  wealth  —  Caste  —  The 
chief  of  Apia  —  Fantulia,  his  wife  —  Politeness — Women  in 
time  of  war  —  The  maid  of  the  village  —  A  virtuous  peo- 
ple — Night  dances  —  Polygamy  —  Dress  —  Tattooing —  Samoan 
Houses  —  Water-crafts  —  Bouito  fishing  —  "  Great  Days,"  and 
taking  the  palolo  —  Language  of  the  Samoans  —  Traditions  — 
Discovery  —  La  Perouse,  and  the  tragedy  near  Massacre  Bay  — 
Effects  —  The  martyr  Williams,  again  —  Population  —  Church 


30  CONTENTS. 

relations  —  "Fine  mats"  —  Mamie  —  Mammoth  coeoamits  — 
Rose  Island  —  Tutila  —  Pago-Pago  —  Its  importance  —  Ceded 
to  the  United  States  —  Nopolu —  Apia — Its  fine  harbor  —  The 
white  population  —  A  glimpse  of  Tutuila  —  Island  villages  — 
In  the  harbor  of  Apia  —  Many  Americans  —  Morris  Davis  — 
The  U.  S.  consul  —  News  from  home  —  A  tender  epistle  —  Ger- 
many wants  Samoa —  The  triple  agreement  —  England  growing 
suspicious  —  Bismarck's  policy  —  On  the  track  of  "George 
Thompson" — Meeting  with  old  friends  —  Prof.  Gregory  pre- 
pares to  give  some  account  of  his  travels 445 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
AUSTRALIA  —  TASMANIA. 

Australia  —  What  is  comprehended  by  the  term  —  Port  Philip  — 
Melbourne  —  Fine  streets  —  Fine  public  and  private  buildings 

—  The  University  —  Water-works  —  Public  gardens  —  Railways 

—  The   Yarra-Yarra  —  Vineyards  at   St.  Hubert's  —  Sydney  — 
The  colleges  and    university  schools  —  Museum  —  Library  — 
Port   Jackson  —  An  excursion  —  Country  towns  —  Fine  roads 

—  Appearance  of  the  country  —  The  Eucalypti  —  Wonderful 
groves  —  Peculiarities  of  the  Eucalypti  —  Road   through  the 
gum  trees  —  Silence  of  the  forests  —  Parrots,   parrakccts,  and 
cockatoos  —  The  harlequin  —  Bronzewing  —  Other  birds  —  Ani- 
mals—  The  dingo  —  The  kangaroo  —  Other  pouched  animals  — 
The  duck-bill  — The  aborigines  — Their  habits  —  Rapidly  dimin- 

'ishing  —  Queensland  —  The  bottle-tree —  South  Australia  —  Ad- 
elaide— Its  beauty  and  prosperity  —  Almost  ruined  by  gold  — 
The  botanical  garden  —  Wool  —  A  hairy  Australian  —  Sheep- 
runs  and  cattle  stations  —  A  lonely  life  —  Tasmania  —  Bass 
Strait  —  Area  —  Bays  and  harbors  —  Mountains — Rivers  and 
lakes  —  Soil  —  Climate  — Fruit  and  vegetables  — Timber  — Tree- 
ferns —  Minerals — Animals  —  Government  —  Population  —  Ad- 
jacent Islands  —  History  —  Importance  of  wool  —  Convicts  — 
Aborigines  —  Their  removal  and  extermination  —  Good-night.  .  472 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

NEW  ZEALAND  — OTHER  GROUPS  AND  ISLANDS. 

Still  no  signs  of  the  missing  relative  —  Visit  to  the  shore  —  Scth 

left  in  charge  of  the  yacht  —  Under  the  breadfruit  trees  —  New 

Zealand  —  New  Ulster — Wellington  —Auckland  —A  very  Eng- 


CONTENTS.  31 

lish  town  —  Public  buildings  —  The  Museum  —  Maori  curiosi- 
ties—  Green  jade  tools  and  weapons  —  Carved  feather-box  — 
The  fiufa  —  The  moa  —  Drinking-places  in  Auckland  —  Vari- 
ous islands  of  the  group  —  Area  —  Mountains  and  volcanoes 

—  Minerals  —  Vegetation  —  Animals  —  The  missionaries'  work 

—  Government  —  The  Maoris  —  Physical  and  mental  qualities 

—  Two'  faces  —  The  dark    natives  —  Tattooing  —  Affectionate 
parents  —  Children's  games  —  Pahs  —  Their  use  —  Wars —  Sea 
rights  —  Girls  and   married  women  —  Polygamy  —  Changes  — 
Funny  incidents  —  A  picnic  under  the  breadfruit  trees  —  Nor- 
folk Island  — The  group — Area  —  Features  of  fhe  country  — 
Soil  —  Products — Mount  Pitt  — Animals—  Convicts  —  The  Pit- 
cairn  Islanders  —  Isle  of  Pines  —  Rich  soil  and  restless  natives 

—  Their  habits  and  disposition  —  Use  they  made  of  firearms  — 
A  change  for  the  better — Dressing  the  hair  —  Strange  custom 
among  the  women  —  Their  place  in  society — New  Caledonia 

—  Numea — The  Paris  of  the  Pacific — Wonderful  ruins  —  Can- 
nibalism—  Salt  water  as  a  beverage  —  The  women  —  Dress- 
War  canoes —  Weapons — The   French   establishment  —  Loyal- 
ty Islands —  The  New  Hebrides  —  Erromango —  The  most  im- 
portant islands —  Port  Sandwich  —  Disappearance  of  Aurora 

—  Volcano  —  Surface  of  the  islands  —  Vegetation  —  Fruit  and 
vegetables  —  Animals  — A  diminutive  pig  —  Natives  —  Customs 
and   dress  —  The  betel    nut — Not   navigators  —  Discovery  — 
Queen  Charlotte's  group  —  Vanikova — Scene  of  La  Perouse's 
disaster  —  Solomon  Islands —  Treacherous  natives —  Their  love 
of  human  flesh  —  Tortoise-shell  —  Manner  of  trading — Appear- 
ance—  The  most  important  of  the  islands  —  Their  beauty  and 
fertility  —  Abundance    of    fruit    and    spices  —  Discovery  —  A 
pious  fraud  that  did  not  work  —  Mendana  —  His  death — Tom 
Grayson  appears.          .        . 509 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
PAPUA— THE  MOLUCCA  ISLANDS. 

The  Rover  in  port  —  The  party  adjourn  to  the  yacht  —  Under  the 
awning  —  Tambora  or  New  Ireland  —  Area  —  Mountains  and 
forests  —  Harbors  —  Productions  —  Natives  —  A  thrifty  people 
—  Attractive  villages  —  Preparing  dinner  —  Animals  —  Sirara 
or  New  Britain  —  Productions  —  Inhabitants — Louisiade  arch- 
ipelago —  Dampier's  groups  —  Admiralty  Islands  —  Papua  — 
Size  —  Little  known — The  coast — Dutch  possessions  —  Mount- 
ain ranges  —  Rivers  —  Forests  —  Palms  —  Birds  of  Paradise  — 


32  CONTENTS. 

Many  species  —  Birds'  dancing  parties  —  Native  hunters  —  The 
Papuan  race  —  Native  villages  —  Molucca  Islands  —  Situation 

—  Clusters  —  Volcanic  —  Productions  —  Inhabitants  —  The  Ma- 
lay race  —  Disposition — History  of  the  Spice  Isles — The  treach 
erous    Dutch  —  Amboyna  —  Wonderful  productiveness  —  Im 
portance  to  the  Dutch  —  Trickery  —  Banda  or  Nutmeg  Isles- 
Timor —  Productions  and  inhabitants  —  Celebes  —  Its  outline 
and  immense  sea-coast  —  Size  and  population  —  Animals — For- 
ests —  Fruits  —  Rice    and    coffee  —  Gold  —  Inhabitants  —  The 
Bughis  —  The  Manyuemas  —  The  Maudhars —  Seaports  —  Sun- 
da  Islands  —  Malay  villages — Java  —  Area  — Population — Fer- 
tility—  Mountain  ranges  —  Lovely  valleys  —  Lakes  and  rivers 
— Forests  —  Earthquakes — Products — Domestic  animals — Cli- 
mate—  The  Dutch  masters  of  the  isle  —  Batavia  —  Its  wealth 
and  population  —  Wild  game  of  Java  —  Black  tigers  —  Rhinoc- 
eros —  White  eagles  —  Portuguese  —  Natives  — Ruins  of  ancient 
temples  —  Mammoth    bats  —  Reflections  —  An    interruption  — 
The  Unrest  —  Lyman  Pierpont  again  gives  his  pursuers  the  slip 

—  Shark's-tooth  gauntlet  —  Farewell  to  Samoa.         .        .        .  539 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
TONGA  — FIJI  ISLANDS. 

Tonga  discovered  by  Tasman — Visited  by  Cook  —  A  misnomer 
— Number  of  the  isles  —  Of  coral  and  volcanic  formation  — 
Climate  —  Natives  —  Fruits  and  vegetables  —  Animals  —  The 
sacred  isle  —  Captain  Croker's  defeat  —  No  exports  but  cocoanut 
oil  —  Port  Refuge  —  Fine  appearance  of  the  natives  —  Com- 
plexion —  Beautiful  women  —  Women  well  treated  —  Dwellings 

—  Dress  —  Government —  Love  of  war  —  Mythology  —  Bulotu 

—  Work  of  the  missionaries  —  French  Catholics  —  A  storm;— 
The  Captain's  apprehensions  —  Tonga  —  No    Unrest  —  A  crom- 
lech —  Vavao  —  Port  Refuge  —  A  warm  reception  —  The  chief 
Talo  —  News  of  the  Unrest — Visit  to  the  king  —  Invitation  to 
a  shooting  party  —  Rat  shooting  —  Pleasant  sport  — Description 
of  the  game  —  A  famous  cavern  with  a  submarine  entrance  — 
Return  to  the  yacht  —  Strangers  from  Ilapai  —  Disagreeable 
news — Visit  from  the  king  and  his  friends —  Under  way  for  Fiji 

—  Number  of  the  Fiji  islands  —  Belong  to  England  —  Declined 
by  the  United  States  —  Population  —  Viti  Levu  —  Suva  harbor 

—  Towns  —  Vanua    Levu  —  Bay  of   Nasavusavu  —  Mountains 
and  streams — -Taviuni  —  Great  eels  —  Ovalau  —  Its  beauty  and 
fertility  —  Levuka  —  Its   population    and    buildings  —  Bau  — 


CONTEXTS.  33 

Lakemba —  Vegetation  of  Fiji  —  Cotton  —  Coffee — Fish  —  The 
nati  ves  —  Appearance  and  habits  —  Dress  —  Ear  ornaments  — 
Red  paint  and  oil  —  Early  marriages  —  Strange  customs  —  Pa- 
gans and  pagan  chiefs  —  Cannibalism  —  Fijian  weapons  —  Bu- 
res  or  temples  —  Speech-making  —  Orators'  Flappers  —  Supper.  580 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS. 

Islands  on  every  hand  —  Suva  harbor  —  No  signs  of  the  Unrest — 
Bau  —  A  week  among  the  Fiji  Islands  —  Course  laid  for  the 
Hawaiian  group  —  Maui  —  A  great  sugar  plantation  — 10,000 
acres  of  sugar-cane  —  Twenty  miles  of  ditches  —  Thousands  of 
laborers  —  Sugar  by  the  ton  —  "Tired"  natives  —  Imported 
labor  —  Population  —  Fine  appearance  of  the  natives — Beauty 
of  the  women  —  A  vision  of  loveliness  —  Dress — Ornaments  — 
Pets — Tender  care  for  a  pig  —  Women  industrious  and  hospi- 
table—  Fish  ponds  —  Poi  —  Physical  condition  —  Educated  Ha- 
waiian ladies  —  Helmets  — Volcanoes  — Kilauea — Mauna  Loa  — 
Living  in  a  state  of  uncertainty  —  A  narrow  escape  —  Honolulu 
—  Climate — Waikiki — Valley  of  Nuuanu — Manoa — Fish  mar- 
kets—  Harbor  of  Lahaina  —  The  Unrest  in  port  —  A  visit  to 
the  yacht  —  The  town  —  Meeting  with  Lyman  Pierpont — His 
agreeable  announcement  —  Departure  for  Honolulu  —  Kauai  — 
Niihau  —  Other  isles  —  Off  for  China.  .  611 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

MICRONESIA. 

Once  more  on  the  quarter-deck  —  Isolated  isles  —  The  Marshall 
group  —  Annexed  to  Germany — Result  —  Two  clusters  —  Ap- 
pearance of  the  natives  —  Tattooing  —  Clothing  —  Caroline  arch- 
epelago  — Vast  extent  —  High  islands  —  Inhabitants  — Of  mixed 
origin  —  The  more  important  isle  —  Bad  influences  —  Work  of 
the  missionaries  —  Princess  Opatinia  —  The  Motlocks  —  Ruk  — 
Great  changes  there  —  Many  governments  in  .the  Carolines  — 
Ponape  —  Yap  —  Oulleai  —  The  Evalouks  —  The  two  races  of 
Ruk  —  Nongoura  —  A  fine  race,  of  people  — Well  informed  — 
Their  religion  —  Rats  —  Greenwich  group  —  Inhabitants  —  The 
Pelew  Islands  —  Facts  concerning  them  —  The  Matclotus  —  The 
Mackenzie  group — Canoe  houses  at  Makira  Bay — The  Ladrones 
—  Other  groups  of  the  same  name  —  Bonin  Islands  —  The  Loo 
Choo  group  —  Banyans 640 


34  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  CHINA  SEA  AND  INDIAN  OCEAN. 

Groups  of  Chinese  isles  —  Formosa  —  Mineral  wealth  —  Exports 
and  imports —  Dutch  settlements — Chinese  of  Formosa — Barba- 
rians of  the  mountains  —  Amoy  —  Its  importance  —  Hong-Kong 
— The  Philippines —  History — Typhoons — Borneo  —  Great  size 

—  Physical  features  —  High  mountains  —  Climate  and  produc- 
tions—  The  wonderful  pitcher  plant  —  Durions — Sarawak  — 
Inhabitants  —  Chinese  —  Malays — The  Dyaks  —  Land  Dyaks — 
Sea  Dyaks — Head-hunters — Fine  looking  men — Beautiful  wom- 
en— Young  Dyak  girls — Old  at  thirty — Architecture — ADyak 
village  —  Sumatra  —  Picturesque  villages — Homes  in  trees  — 
Bamboo  houses  —  The  Dutch  —  Volcanic  mountains  —  Great 
plains — Wild  animals  —  Birds  and  insects — Productions — Min- 
erals— Gold  and  precious  stones — Rivers  —  Floating  villages 

—  Floating  houses  on  the  Jambi  —  The  aborigines  —  Malays  — 
Other  races  —  Few  Europeans  —  Dutch  wisdom  —  Tree  ferns  — 
Indian  reeds  —  Bridges  of  reeds  —  Native  rulers  —  Singapore  — 
The  island — Size  —  Physical  features — Productions  —  Magnifi- 
cent climate  —  Tigers  and  Chinamen  —  Population  —  The  city 

—  Chinese  quarter  —  Public  buildings  —  Malay  quarter  —  Pearl 
Hill  —  Government  house  —  The  suburbs  —  Drives  —  Botanical 
garden  —  Immense  commerce —  Strait  of  Malacca  —  Course  laid 
for  Cape  of  Good  Hope  —  History  of  Singapore  —  Purchase  of 
the  island  by  Great  Britain  —  Groups  and  islands  of  the  Indian 
Ocean  —  Ceylon  —  Its  great  importance  —  Physical  features  — 
Adam's  Peak — Last  trace  of  Buddha  on  earth  —  Animals  —  Ele- 
phants—  History  —  Population  —  Mauritius  —  The  scene  pf  St. 
Pierre's  "Paul  and  Virginia"  —  Beauty  of  the  isle  —  Bold  and 
grand  mountain  outlines  —  Its  relations  to  Reunion —  Products 

—  Exports — Population  —  Rices — History — Madagascar — The 
late  war  with  France  —  Results  —  Beautiful  appearance  of  the 
island  —  Wonderful    vegetation  —  Curious    plants  —  Immense 
forests  —  Cape  Town  —  Table  Bay  —  Attractions  of  the  city  — 
Botanical  garden  —  Public  buildings — Canals  —  Table  Moun- 
tain—  The  yacht's  head  turned  homeward  —  St.  Helena  —  As- 
cension Island  —  St.  Paul  —  Cape  Verdes  —  The  Canaries  —  Ma- 
deira Islands  —  The  Azores  —  Off  the  Caribbees  —  Isles  of  the 
delta  of  the  Oronoco  —  Aquatic  dwellings  —  Their  inhabitants 

—  The  voyage  home — In  the  harbor  of  the  university  town  — 
Friends  flock  'to  the  yacht  —  Gracie  Richards  —  Miss  Kilborne 
—Words  of  praise  from  Warren  Worthington  and  the  president 

—  Eugene's  apt  reply  —  Finis.     . 663 


THE   ISLES  OF  THE  SEA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AN  EMBARRASSING  WILL. 

A  LARGE  frame  house,  of  a  somewhat  antiquated 
^Zr\_  style  of  architecture,  fronting  on  a  neatly-kept 
public  square,  —  the  "green,"  as  it  was  called, — the 
pride  and  boast  of  the  university  town.  In  this  house  a 
pleasant  room,  with  a  window  opening  to  the  south  and 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  green ;  and  on  the  east 
side,  and  projecting  into  a  garden,  a  deep  bay,  which 
contained  an  arm-chair,  a  book-rest,  and  a  globe. 

This  room  was  the  library  —  not  only  in  name  but 
in  fact,  as  the  hundreds  of  tomes  which  lined  its  walls 
sufficiently  attested. 

In  the  center  of  the  apartment  was  a  table,  on  which 
was  spread  an  official  map  of  Polynesia ;  and  bending 
over  the  table,  and  carefully  following  the  tracks  of  cer- 
tain famous  navigators,  as  laid  down  on  the  chart,  were 
two  young  men,  evidently  brothers. 

"  Well,  Eugene,"  said  the  elder,  presently  looking  up, 
while  the  point  of  the  pencil  he  held  rested  on  one  of 
the  Hawaiian  group  of  islands,  "  I  don't  see  but  that  our 
best  plan  will  be  to  go  directly  to  Kanai  after  all ;  and 
we  can  be  guided  afterwards  by  the  information  we 
obtain  there." 

"  Then  you  really  think  we  shall  be  able  to  learn  some- 
thing at  Kajiai,  Chester  ?  "  asked  the  younger. 


36  AN    EMBARRASSING    WILL. 

"  Undoubtedly,"  was  the  reply.  "  Uncle  Lyman,  from 
all  accounts,  was  a  man  to  be  remembered ;  and  even  if 
he  has  been  gone  from  the  island  for  years,  more  than 
one  of  the  natives  will  be  able  to  tell  us  something  about 
him.  And  then,  for  anything  we  know,  he  may  be  there 
still." 

"  That's  hardly  likely,"  said  Eugene,  with  an  emphatic 
shake  of  the  head ;  "  if  he  were  there,  we  should  have 
heard  from  him  in  some  way  before  this." 

"  I  don't  see  as  that  necessarily  follows,"  rejoined  his 
brother. 

"  Wouldn't  he  have  answered  some  of  our  letters  — 
and  on  such  an  important  subject,  too  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  at  all  sure  that  he  would." 

"  He  used  to  write  to  father  sometimes  ;  and  to  Uncle 
Timothy,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Chester ;  "  but  father  had  not  received 
a  letter  from  him  for  some  time  before  his  death,  and  it 
is  years  since  he  has  written  to  Uncle  Timothy." 

"  Still,"  persisted  Eugene,  "  I  must  believe  he  would 
answer  Aunt  Grace's  urgent  letters,  and  you  know  Uncle 
Timothy,  and  even  Uncle  Richards  have  written  him 
about  this  matter." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  but  he  never  liked  his  sister  Grace 
very  well,  and  for  that  reason  is  not  likely  to  pay  any 
attention  to  her  letters  or  those  of  her  husband." 

"  But  Uncle  Timothy,  he  always  liked  him  ?" 

"  True  ;  but  he  would  see  that  by  obliging  him  he 
would  at  the  same  time  be  obliging  Aunt  Grace,  and 
perhaps  he  has  good  reasons  for  not  wishing  to  do  that." 

"  But  he  ought  not  to  spite  us,  we  never  did  him  any 
harm,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  almost  indignantly. 

"  Of  course  not,"  smiled  his  brother ;  "  but  what  interest 
can  he  feel  in  us,  never  having  seen  us  ?  " 

"  We  are  our  father's  sons,  and  our  father  was  always 
his  best  friend." 


AN    EMBARRASSING   WILL.  37 

"  You  are  right,  Eugene ;  but  for  all  that,  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  Lyman  Pierpont  may  still  'be  on  the  island  of 
Kanai." 

"  How  do  you  expect  to  get  there,  Chester  ? "  asked  the 
younger,  after  a  moment's  pause. 

"  Nothing  easier,"  was  the  reply.  "  Take  the  rail  to 
San  Francisco,  then  the  steamer  to  Honolulu.  From 
thence  it  is  not  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  Waimea,  in  Kanai,  and  we  shall  find  sailing  vessels 
making  the  trip  every  few  days." 

"  Ah !  but  if  we  don't  find  him  there,  nor  any  traces  of 
him,  what  then  ?  " 

"  Hum,  we  shall  have  to  look  for  him  elsewhere,  I 
suppose.  He's  somewhere  among  all  these  islands,  of 
that  I  am  confident,"  and  with  a  comprehensive  gesture, 
he  indicated  the  several  groups  that  go  to  make  up  what 
is  known  as  Polynesia. 

"  There  is  little  doubt  of  that,  I  think  —  if  he 's  alive," 
said  Eugene. 

"  Of  course,  if  he 's  alive.  But  if  he 's  dead  we  can 
obtain  proof  of  the  fact,  and  that  will  be  quite  as  satis- 
factory to  Mr.  Worthington  and  to  the  college." 

"  But  if  he  married,  and  has  left  a  widow  and  children  ?" 

"  Then,  if  it  was  such  a  marriage  as  would  hold  good 
in  our  courts,  they  must  sign  the  deed." 

"  But,  Chester,  how  are  we  to  get  around  among  all 
these  islands,  —  provided,  of  course,  it  should  prove 
necessary  to  do  so  ? " 

"  There  '11  be  no  great  trouble  in  visiting  all  of  the 
Hawaiian  group." 

"  Of  course  not ;  and  the  others  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  more  difficult.  We  should  be  obliged 
to  trust  to  chance  vessels  —  whalers  and  the  like." 

"  In  that  case,  it  might  take  years  to  find  out  what  we 
want  to  know,  and  Mr.  Worthington  would  not  be  willing 
to  submit  to  any  such  delay." 


38  AN   EMBARRASSING   WILL. 

"  You  are  right,  Eugene  ;  but  I  don't  see  —  " 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  ring  at  the  front-door 
bell,  and  a  little  later  Professor  Ezekiel  Singleton  was 
announced,  and  shown  into  the  room. 

Warren  Worthington,  the  person  mentioned  by  the 
brothers  in  the  conversation  just  related,  was  a  man 
somewhat  advanced  in  life,  having  just  entered  his  sixty- 
seventh  year.  He  had  made  an  immense  fortune  in 
mining  operations,  on  the  Pacific  coast ;  and  having 
settled  up  his  business  affairs,  had  come  East  to  spend 
the  evening  of  life,  and  to  carry  out  a  long-cherished 
plan  —  to  found  in  his  native  State  some  institution, 
which  should  not  only  prove  a  blessing  to  his  fellow- 
men,  but  at  the  same  time  serve  to  perpetuate  his  own 
memory. 

He  established  himself  in  the  university  town  —  his 
native  place  —  and  soon  the  needs  of  the  ancient  college 
engaged  his  attention.  After  giving  the  matter  due  con- 
sideration, he  announced  that,  on  certain  conditions,  he 
would  give  $1,500,000  to  establish  a  post-graduate  depart- 
ment,—  something  the  president  and  fellows  had  very 
much  at  heart. 

The  conditions  he  named  were'  these :  that  a  certain 
plot  of  ground,  contiguous  to  the  land  already  owned  by 
the  college,  and  occupying  a  little  more  than  half  a 
square,  should  be  secured,  and  the  title  to  every  inch  of 
it  be  pronounced  perfect  by  three  leading  members  of  the 
county  bar ;  that  the  buildings  to  be  erected  on  this  plot 
should  be  after  plans  and  elevations  which  had  received 
his  unqualified  approval ;  and  finally,  that  the  new  depart- 
ment should  receive  his  name. 

So  far  as  it  could  do  so,  the  corporation  accepted  the 
conditions ;  but  just  here  came  the  first  great  difficulty : 
The  plot  of  ground  designated  by  Mr.  Worthington 
belonged  to  the  heirs  of  Trueman  Pierpont,  who  had 


AN    EMBARRASSING   WILL.  39 

owned  the  whole  block,  the  property  having  come  to  him 
by  direct  inheritance  from  his  great  ancestor,  Noah  Pier- 
pont,  the  friend  and  associate  of  Davenport,  who,  with 
his  little  company,  had  first  settled  the  place.  He  had 
disposed  of  a  part  of  it  to  the  college  in  his  lifetime,  with 
the  understanding  that  at  least  one  of  his  sons  should  have 
an  honorable  position  among  the  faculty,  and  Leonard, 
and  later,  Timothy,  was  endowed  with  a  professorship. 

Trueman  Pierpont  left  four  children:  Leonard,  the 
father  of  Chester  and  Eugene,  who  had  now  been  dead 
some  ten  years ;  Timothy,  a  doctor  of  divinity,  and  pro- 
fessor of  Sacred  Literature  in  the  Department  of  Theol- 
ogy ;  Grace,  the  wife  of  Rev.  Samuel  Richards,  D.  D., 
professor  of  the  Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  the 
same  department ;  and  Lyman,  who,  having  taken  offense 
at  his  father's  evident  partiality  for  his  other  and  more 
serious-minded  children,  had,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  sud- 
denly taken  his  departure  from  his  father's  house,  and 
was  next  heard  of  as  a  favorite  at  the  court  of  the  "  king 
of  the  Cannibal  Islands." 

Years  passed ;  the  king  died,  and  another  reigned  in 
his  stead,  "  who  knew  not  Lyman,"  and  the  ex-counselor 
and  favorite  withdrew  to  a  plantation  on  the  island  of 
Kanai,  a  gift  of  his  friend  the  late  king.  From  this 
point,  from  time  to  time,  he  wrote  to  his  brothers,  Leon- 
ard and  Timothy,  with  whom  he  had  no  quarrel ;  but 
suddenly,  a  few  years  before  Leonard's  death,  his  letters 
ceased  to  arrive,  and  from  that  time  nothing  more  was 
heard  of  him. 

To  the  great  disgust  of  his  sister  Grace,  who  had  never 
treated  him  fairly,  and  who  in  consequence  was  always 
his  aversion,  their  father,  while  on  his  death-bed,  made  a 
new  will,  dividing  his  property,  both  real  and  personal, 
into  four  equal  parts,  one  part  to  go  to  the  heirs  of  Leon- 
ard, a  second  to  Timothy  and  his  heirs  forever,  a  third  to 


40  >    AN   EMBARRASSING    WILL. 

Grace  and  her  interesting  family,  and  the  last  to  Lyman, 
or,  in  the  event  of  his  death,  to  his  lawful  heirs  and 
representatives.  The  will,  moreover,  further  provided 
that  the  real  estate  should  never  be  sold  without  the  full 
consent  of  Lyman,  or  until  conclusive  evidence  had  been 
obtained  that  he  had  died  without  issue  and  intestate. 

Under  these  conditions,  what  was  to  be  done  ?  Warren 
Worthington  offered  one  million  dollars  for  the  land,  but 
he  would  not  give  a  single  dollar  unless  he  could  have 
a  perfect  title  —  one  which  no  lawyer  could  question. 
Mrs.  Richards  was  most  anxious  to  dispose  of  her  inter- 
est, "for  the  sake  of  her  dear  children,"  —  a  son  and 
two  daughters,  aged  twenty-five,  twenty-two,  and  twenty, 
respectively.  Doctor  Timothy  could  not  but  wish  to 
oblige  his  college,  and  Chester  and  Eugene  were  no  less 
anxious  to  favor  their  alma  mater.  But  there  were  the 
disagreeable  facts  :  Lyman  Pierpont  was  somewhere  in 
the  vast  Pacific  Ocean,  and  a  clear  title  could  not  be 
given  without  his  signature,  or  proof  positive  that  he  was 
dead,  without  issue. 

Aunt  Grace  wrote  many  letters  to  her  absent  brother, 
and  bemoaned  her  hard  lot,  not  once  thinking  that  to 
her  disagreeable  ways  and  baneful  influence  with  her 
father  was  due,  more  than  to  any  other  cause,  his  absence 
and  continued  silence.  Doctor  Timothy  cogitated  over 
the  problem  helplessly,  while  at  last  Chester  and  Eugene 
solved  it. 

It  was  one  day  while  the  brothers  were  in  the  library 
together.  Eugene  was  seated  before  the  open  grate,  cut- 
ting the  leaves  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly.  Chester  was 
standing  in  the  bay,  thoughtfully  turning  the  globe  with 
the  tip  of  his  finger.  At  length,  as  his  eye  rested  on 
the  word  "  Kanai,"  he  stopped.  He  noted  the  distance 
between  that  island  and  the  others  of  the  group,  and 
then  the  space  that  separated  them  from  the  American 
continent. 


AN  EMBARRASSING  WILL.  41 

"  Eugene,"  he  said,  suddenly, "  why  not  go  to  Hawaii  — 
you  and  I  —  and  find  this  lost  uncle  of  ours  ? " 

"  That  is  an  idea ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  throwing  down 
his  book  and  starting  to  his  feet ;  "  and  practical,  too,  I 
should  think." 

"  Of  course." 

"  Let 's  go  and  talk  it  over  with  Uncle  Timothy." 

They  went.  Uncle  Timothy,  in  a  state  of  great  excite- 
ment, hurried  them  into  the  presence  of  the  president. 
The  president  was  evidently  pleased,  and  asked  them  to 
call  again  the  next  day.  Meantime  he  had  a  talk  with 
the  several  members  of  the  corporation,  and  also  with 
Mr.  Worthington. 

"  Let  them  go,"  said  the  latter ;  "  my  offer  shall  hold 
.good  for  two  years.  If  at  the  end  of  that  time  a  good 
and  sufficient  deed  is  not  forthcoming  —  well,  we  shall 
see." 

It  was  now  more  than  two  weeks  since  the  young  men 
had  first  visited  the  president.  They  had  had  many 
talks  in  the  meantime,  and  as  certain  rumors  had  reached 
them  to  the  effect  that  Lyman  Pierpont  had  been  seen  at 
Upola,  at  Tongataboa,  at  Nukahiva,  one  of  the  Marquesas 
group,  and  at  other  points  in  Polynesia,  they  had  thought 
it  might  be  well  to  go  first  to  the  Samoan  group ;  but  at 
last,  as  we  have  seen,  Chester  decided  that  it  would  be 
best  to  go  to  Kanai  in  the  first  place,  and  take  that  as  a 
starting  point. 

But  the  serious  question  had  arisen,  what  means  should 
they  employ  to  explore  all  Polynesia,  and  perhaps  Micro- 
nesia and  Melanesia,  in  case  they  should  be  baffled  in 
their  search  through  the  Hawaiian  group.  They  had  but 
two  years  to  work  in.  They  must  make  the  most  of  that 
time.  Things  were  looking  serious,  when  Professor  Sin- 
gleton entered  the  room. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  QUESTION  SOLVED. 

PROFESSOR  EZEKIEL  SINGLETON  was  a  remark- 
able-looking man.  He  was  forty-eight  years  of  age, 
and  appeared  at  least  ten  years  older.  He  was  tall  and 
lank,  with  a  face  and  expression  very  like  Abraham  Lin- 
coln's before  he  became  president  and  allowed  his  beard 
to  grow.  Indeed,  his  whole  appearance  reminded  one  of 
Lincoln,  so  much  did  he  resemble  that  distinguished 
statesman. 

Ezekiel  Singleton  was  professor  of  palaeontology,  and 
an  enthusiast  in  his  chosen  line  of  inquiry.  He  had  also 
made  a  thorough  study  of  geology  and  mineralogy,  and 
conducted  one  division  of  a  class  in  those  sciences.  He 
was  a  great  favorite  with  the  students,  and  whenever  he 
started  out  on  one  of  his  excursions,  a  swarm  of  them 
accompanied  him. 

It  had  long  been  his  desire  to  visit  Polynesia.  He  had 
a  theory  in  connection  with  that  portion  of  the  globe 
which  he  thought  a  personal  visit  could  not  fail  to  estab- 
lish. His  wishes  on  this  subject  were  well  known  to  the 
president  and  others  connected  with  the  university  ;  and 
Warren  Worthington,  who  had  formed  his  acquaintance 
soon  .after  making  the  university  town  his  home,  and  who 
liked  him  exceedingly,  was  not  unacquainted  with  them. 

"  Take  a  scat,  Professor,"  said  Chester,  cordially,  as 
the  palaeontologist  walked  nervously  about  the  room. 

"Don't  think  I  have  time  to  sit  down,  thank  you,"  said 
the  Professor,  casting  a  hasty  glance  at  the  map  on  the 
table,  then  hurrying  across  to  the  bay,  and  twirling  the 

(42) 


THE   QUESTION   SOLVED.  43 

globe  around  until  the  Pacific,  with  its  myriads  of  islands, 
was  uppermost.  "  A  fine  globe,  this,  my  friends.  By 
the  way,  are  you  much  interested  in  map  projection  ?  It 
would  pay  you  to  attend  one  of  Prof.  Phillips's  lectures 
on  the  subject,  particularly  if  you  are  going  to  make  a 
long  ocean  voyage." 

"  A  long  ocean  voyage  !  That  was  the  subject  we  were 
discussing  when  you  came  in,"  said  Eugene. 

"  I  can  well  believe  it,"  smiled  the  Professor.  "  And 
what  conclusion  did  you  arrive  at  ?  How  will  you  get  to 
these  islands  here,  for  instance  "  —  placing  his  finger  on 
the  Kingsmill  group  —  "in  case  it  should  become  neces- 
sary to  visit  them  ?  " 

"  That  was  just  the  question  we  were  considering," 
responded  Eugene,  "  and  to  which  we  have  not  yet  found 
an  answer." 

"  I  have  brought  you  the  answer,"  said  the  Professor, 
quietly. 

"  You  ?  "  And  both  the  young  men  started  toward  him 
with  eager,  expectant  faces. 

"  Doubtless  ;  and  what  do  you  think  it  is  ? " 

"  I  cannot  guess,"  said  Chester. 

"  I  give  it  up,"  smiled  Eugene. 

"  An  elegant,  I  may  even  say  sumptuous,  steam-yacht, 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  tons  burden  ;  brig  rigged  — 
at  least,  I  believe  that  is  the  term  where  they  have  two 
masts,  and  use  yards  and  square  sails." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Eugene,  impatiently ;  "  and  her  name  ?" 

"  The  Albatross." 

"  What !  Warren  Worthington's  favorite  yacht  ?  " 

"  The  same." 

"And  to  what  do  we  owe  this  rare  piece  of  good 
luck  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"And  on  what  terms  does  he  let  us  have  it?"  inquired 
Chester. 


44  THE   QUESTION   SOLVED. 

"  You  owe  your  good  luck,"  said  the  Professor,  address- 
ing Eugene,  "  to  Mr.  Worthington's  desire  to  have  the 
search  made  in  the  shortest  possible  time."  Then  turn- 
ing to  Chester,  "And,  as  you  suspect,  there  is  a  condition 
attached  to  the  offer." 

"  And  that  condition  ?  "  asked  the  brothers,  eagerly. 

"  Is  that  you  take  me  with  you." 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  Eugene,  excitedly ;  "  there  could  n't 
be  anything  better.  Why,  Professor,  we  'd  rather  have 
you  along  than  any  other  man  that  could  be  named ; 
wouldn't  we,  Chet?" 

"  Of  course  we  would,"  was  the  hearty  reply. 

"  No,  really,  do  you  mean  it,  young  gentlemen  ?  "  asked 
the  modest  Professor,  flushing  with  pleasure. 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  it,"  they  both  exclaimed  in  a 
breath. 

"  Then,  if  you  are  not  too  much  engaged,  I  would  like 
to  take  you  aboard  and  introduce  you  to  the  officers. 
They  are  a  fine  set  of  fellows,  I  promise  you." 

"  Engaged !  This  thing  is  our  real  business,  now,  and 
we  will  accompany  you  at  once." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  exclaimed  the  Professor,  with 
alacrity,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  trio  left  the  house. 

Taking  a  horse-car  at  the  nearest  corner,  they  rode  to 
Bell  Dock ;  and  as  the  Albatross  lay  but  a  short  distance 
off  in  the  channel,  and  as  one  of  her  boats  was  awaiting 
them  at  the  wharf,  they  were  soon  alongside.  Two  gen- 
tlemen standing  at  the  gangway  helped  to  land  them 
safely  on  the  steamer's  deck,  and  to  one  of  these  the 
professor  immediately  addressed  himself. 

"  Captain  Bradford,"  said  he,  "  permit  me  to  make  you 
acquainted  with  our  fellow  voyagers  —  Mr.  Chester  Pier- 
pont,  and  his  brother,  Mr.  Eugene  Pierpont.  Gentlemen, 
Captain  James  Bradford)  the  worthy  commander  of  the 
Albatross.1"  Then  turning  to  the  other  officer,  "  And  this 
is  Mr.  Morgan,  our  first  mate." 


THE  QUESTION   SOLVED.  45 

The  introductions  over,  Captain  Bradford  offered  to 
give  his  guests  some  idea  of  their  future  home.  Nothing 
could  have  pleased  them  more ;  and  with  him  for  a  guide, 
they  visited  every  part  of  the  beautiful  yacht.  They 
found  it  as  near  perfection  as  possible, —  as,  indeed,  was 
everything  with  which  Warren  Worthington  had  any- 
thing to  do;  and  the  brothers  were  unstinted  in  their 
praise. 

While  seated  in  the  saloon,  partaking  of  the  refresh- 
ments the  captain  had  thoughtfully  ordered  to  be  pre- 
pared for  them,  Eugene,  the  impetuous,  asked : 

"  How  long  before  you  will  be  ready  for  sea,  Captain  ?  " 

"  Ten  days,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Good !     In  ten  days  we  will  be  on  board." 

"  I  like  that,"  said  the  Captain,  approvingly ;  "  I  was 
afraid  you  would  require  more  time." 

"Not  another  day  —  not  another  hour,"  exclaimed 
Eugene,  "unless,  indeed,  Professor  Singleton  — 

"  Not  I,  young  gentlemen,"  interrupted  the  Professor, 
quickly ;  "  if  the  Captain  only  says  the  word,  I  can  be 
ready  in  five  days." 

"  Then  it  is  fully  understood,'*  said  the  Captain,  "that, 
Providence  permitting,  we  will  sail  on  the  morning  of 
the  eighth  of  April  —  ten  days  hence  ?  " 

"  Yes,  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth  of  April ! "  echoed 
his  prospective  passengers,  as  they  started  to  their  feet. 
"  And  now,"  added  Chester,  "  we  must  leave  you." 

As  in  duty  bound,  Chester  and  Eugene  took  an  early 
opportunity  to  wait  upon  Warren  Worthington  and  thank 
him  for  his  kindness  in  placing  the  Albatross  at  their 
disposal. 

"  Pooh ! "  exclaimed  the  millionaire,  "  that 's  nothing, 
or  at  least,  it  was  inspired  by  a  selfish  motive.  Remem- 
ber, I  have  lived  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  know  something 


46  THE   QUESTION   SOLVED. 

of  the  vexations  and  delays  in  getting  from  one  group  of 
South  Sea  islands  to  another,  if  you  don't  happen  to  .have 
a  vessel  of  your  own  at  your  command.  And  you  know, 
young  gentlemen,  I  am  getting  old,  and  if  I  am  to  see 
the  buildings  of  the  post-graduate  department  erected,  I 
must  do  all  I  can  to  hasten  the  day  when  the  foundations 
may  be  laid." 

"  It  was  none  the  less  kind  of  you  to  deal  so  liberally 
with  us,"  said  Eugene  warmly ;  "  and  I  only  wish  you 
were  to  make  one  of  our  party." 

"  I  might  do  that,"  returned  Mr.  Worthington,  with 
some  animation.  "  But  no,  I  must  remain  here  to  con- 
sult with  the  architects.  You  must  know,"  he  continued, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  "  that  I  intend  to  have  them  go 
ahead  with  the  plans  exactly  as  though  I  knew  you  would 
be  successful  in  your  search,  —  as,  indeed,  I  think  you 
will  be.  And  so,  when  I  receive  word  that  your  uncle  is 
found  and  has  signed  a  proper  deed,  or  that  he  is  dead,  I 
can  give  orders  for  the  workmen  to  break  ground  at 
once." 

"  I  can  understand  and  appreciate  your  feelings,  sir," 
said  Chester,  "and  I  sincerely  trust  all  your  hopes  may 
be  realized." 

Mr.  Worthington's  liberal  action  was  soon  known 
throughout  the  university  world,  and  as  a  matter  of 
course,  created  quite  a  sensation,  but  nowhere  greater 
than  at  the  Richards's  fireside. 

"  Brother  Leonard's  boys  manage  to  get  a  great  deal 
of  notice  taken  of  them,  somehow,"  said  Aunt  Grace, 
discontentedly.  "  Now,  why  should  they  go  to  Hawaii, 
and  perhaps  cruise  all  over  the  South  Seas  in  Warren 
Worthington's  beautiful  yacht,  and  at  his  expense,  in 
preference  to  our  Leonard  Bacon,  I  should  like  to  know  ?" 

"  Or,  in  preference  to  us  girls,"  spoke  up  Miss  Nora, 
the  younger  daughter,  with  a  mischievous  twinkle  of  the 


THE   QUESTION   SOLVED.  47 

eye.  "  For  my  part,  I  should  like  very  much  to  make  a 
voyage  to  the  South  Seas ;  and  I  dare  say  Gracie  would, 
too." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  would  object,"  admitted  her 
sister,  while  a  slight  blush  suffused  her  cheeks. 

"  Can't  say  that  I  should  oare  much  about  it,"  said 
Leonard  Bacon  Richards,  who  was  a  somewhat  effeminate 
individual,  with  light-blue  eyes,  very  light  hair,  and  feeble 
side-whiskers  ;  and  who  had  very  little  of  that  energy 
which  belonged  to  the  eminent  divine  to  whom  he  was 
indebted  for  his  name,  and  in  whose  calling  he  expected 
one  day  to  be  a  great  and  shining  light. 

"  And  you  might  add,"  said  his  father,  gravely,  "  that 
it  would  be  highly  imprudent  for  you  to  go,  in  any  event. 
You  are  so  nearly  through  at  the  seminary  now,  that  it 
would  not  be  well  to  leave  your  studies  until  after  you 
are  ordained." 

"  Hum,  and  I  fancy  then  will  be  the  time,  if  ever,  when 
he'll  want  to  go  at  them  in  dead  earnest,"  said  Nora, 
somewhat  sarcastically. 

"True,"  rejoined  her  father,  taking  the  remark  in 
good  faith,  "  a  clergyman's  life  is,  or  should  be,  one  of 
study,  and  from  the  very  outset  he  should  be  diligent." 

"  You  hear,  Leonard  ?  "  said  his  sister,  sharply. 

"Yes,  I  hear,"  drawled  the  young  man. 

"  Well,  I  trust  you  will  profit  by  father's  words." 

Her  brother  looked  at  her  doubtfully. 

"  It's  hard  to  tell  just  what  you  are  driving  at,  some- 
times," he  said,  at  length. 

"  Is  it  ? "  she  laughed.  "  I  thought  I  spoke  plainly 
enough  then." 

Nora  Richards  had  not  an  exalted  opinion  of  her 
brother's  abilities. 


CH4PTER  III. 

THE  BERMUDAS. 

r~TlIME  and  tide  wait  for  no   man,"  and  spite   of 
I      envious  feelings,  spite  of  disappointments  and 
regrets,  spite  of    all  possible  mishaps,  the  morning  of 
the  eighth  of  April  arrived ;  and  with  it  Professor  Single- 
ton and  the  brothers  arrived  on  board  the  Albatross. 

The  order  was  soon  given  to  weigh  anchor,  and  a 
little  later,  their  last  friends  having  left  them,  the  yacht 
steamed  down  the  harbor  and  headed  toward  the  broad 
Atlantic. 

For  fully  twenty-four  hours  after  they  were  "  out  on 
the  ocean  deep,"  our  travelers  realized  the  fact  that  there 
is  much  misery  connected  with  the  early  part  of  an 
ocean  voyage.  But  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day, 
the  weather  being  fine,  first  Eugene,  then  Chester,  and 
at  length  the  Professor  made  his  appearance  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  all  drank  in  the  bracing  sea  air  with 
evident  enjoyment. 

"  This  is  delightful,"  exclaimed  the  Professor,  compla- 
cently seating  himself  on  a  camp-stool  and  wrapping  a 
shawl  about  him.  "  I  trust  this  agreeable  weather  will 
last.  We  shall  be  in  the  Gulf  Stream  to-morrow.  Pray, 
Mr.  Pierpont,  have  you  ever  given  any  attention  to  the 
surface  life  of  the  Gulf  Stream  ?  " 

"  Not  a  great  deal,  I  confess,"  answered  Chester. 

"  Then  you  are  wrong,  and  I  recommend  you  to  repair 
the  error." 

At  this  moment  Captain  Bradford  joined  them. 

(48) 


THE  BERMUDAS.  49 

"Have  you  ever  visited  the  Bermudas,  Professor?" 
he  asked. 

" '  The  storm-vexed  Bermudas  ? '  Yes,  on  one  memo- 
rable occasion  I  did  so ;  but  I  should  like  to  repeat  the 
visit,  I  assure  you." 

"  And  you,  gentlemen  ?  "  turning  to  the  brothers. 

"  I  have  never  seen  the  islands,"  said  Chester. 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Eugene ;  "  but  I  would  n't  object  to 
repairing  the  error,  as  the  Professor  would  say." 

"  Then,  as  there  are  certain  reasons  why  I  should  like 
to  call  at  Hamilton,  and  as  the  delay  will  be  more  than 
counterbalanced  by  the  benefits  obtained,  we  will  stop 
there." 

"  We  applaud  your  decision,  Captain,"  said  Eugene. 
"  When  shall  we  get  into  port  ?  " 

"  In  less  than  thirty-six  hours,  I  hope." 

"  All  right,  I  must  brush  up  what  little  knowledge  I 
possess  of  the  islands,  so  that  I  may  pass  muster  with 
the  natives.  Professor,  can't  you  help  me  ? " 

"  I  endeavored  to  make  the  best  use  of  my  time  while 
I  was  there,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  and  I  have  given 
the  subject  some  attention  since.  Whatever  I  know  is 
very  much  at  your  service." 

"  I  '11  warrant  it  is  a  great  deal  more  than  I  can  take 
in ;  but,  in  the  first  place,  from  what  source  does  the 
group  derive  its  name  ?  " 

"  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Juan  Bermudez,  who,  in 
1522,  when  the  discovery  of  insular  America  had  become 
well  known  in  the  old  world,  first  visited  the  group  in 
the  Spanish  ship  La  Crarza,  of  which  he  was  the  com- 
mander, while  on  a  voyage  from  Spain  to  Cuba  with  a 
cargo  of  hogs.  And  I  may  add,  that  the  same  year  the 
islands  were  visited  by  that  illustrious  historian  of  the 
Indies,  Gonzales  Oviedo." 

"  A  cargo  of  hogs,  eh  ? "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  they 
8 


50  THE  BERMUDAS. 

ought  to  have  put  a  few  ashore  on  the  newly-discovered, 
isles." 

"  That  was  Bermudez's  intention ;  his  idea  being  that 
they  would  breed  and  be  useful  afterwards.  But  his 
benevolent  design  was  frustrated,  on  the  eve'  of  their 
debarking,  by  the  springing  up  of  a  strong  gale,  which 
obliged  them  to  steer  off,  and  be  contented  with  only  a 
partial  view,  as  they  thought,  of  a  single  island." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Chester,  inquiringly,  "  Columbus 
never  saw  the  Bermudas  ? " 

"  In  searching  into  the  scanty  records  of  the  voyages 
of  Columbus,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  I  find  no  evi- 
dence of  his  having  done  so.  And  I  am  fully  satisfied 
that  he  never  did." 

"  A  little  out  of  his  track,  I  fancy,"  remarked  Eugene. 
"  But  just  how  are  they  situated  ?  and  what  is  the  gen- 
eral formation  of  the  group  ? " 

"  It  is  a  cluster  of  small  islands,"  replied  the  Professor, 
"  situated,  as  you  must  know,  in  the  latitude  of  Charles- 
town,  South  Carolina,  and  five  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
distant  from  Cape  Hatteras,  which  is  the  nearest  point 
on  the  American  coast.  The  islands  are  of  calcareous 
formation,  due  entirely,  I  am  satisfied,  to  the  action  of 
the  wind  in  blowing  up  sand  made  by  the  disintegration 
of  coral  reefs.  They  present  but  one  mass  of  animal 
remains  in  various  stages  of  comminution  and  disintegra- 
tion. The  varieties  of  rock  are  irregularly  associated, 
and  without  any  order  of  super-position.  Nearly  every 
shell  now  known  in  the  surrounding  sea  may  be  found  in 
the  rock,  quite  perfect,  except  with  regard  to  color.  That 
portion  of  the  coast  which  looks  to  the  east  and  to  the 
south  is  in  general  shelving  toward  the  sea,  with  a  flat, 
shallow  beach ;  while  the  western  and  northern  shores 
rise  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  ocean  to  a  height  of 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet;  and  except  in  some  of  the 


THE   BERMUDAS.  51 

small  creeks,  where  steep,  sandy  beaches  occur,  under 
the  rocky  cliffs,  the  water  is  deep  close  to  the  shore. 
The  southeastern  coast,  to  the  extent  of  six  or  eight 
miles,  exhibits  a  mixed  character,  the  low  land  sinking 
very  gradually  under  the  sea,  and  the  rugged  and  conical 
hills  terminating,  not  in  wall-like  precipices,  but  sloping 
abruptly  to  a  flat,  extended  beach." 

"  The  islands  are  encircled  by  dangerous  coral  reefs, 
are  they  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes ;  and  many  of  them  extend  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  land ;  but  the  greater  part  of  them  lie 
under  the  surface  of  the  water,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  shore." 

"  When  were  the  islands  first  settled  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Ferdinand  Camelo  took  formal  possession  of  them  in 
1543,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  and  is  stated  to  have 
cut  his  name  on  a  rock  still  known  as  the  '  Spanish 
Rock,'  on  the  south  side  of  the  main  island.  On  the  7th 
of  December,  1593,  Barbotie're,  a  French  captain,  was 
shipwrecked  off  the  coast,  and  with  twenty-six,  out  of 
fifty  composing  the  crew,  escaped  to  the  shore.  Among 
them  was  Henry  May,  an  Englishman,  who  afterwards 
published  an  account  of  the  shipwreck.  Again,  it  was 
not  until  after  an  English  vessel  was  wrecked  here,  being 
one  of  an  expedition  consisting  of  nine  ships  and  five 
hundred  men,  on  their  way  to  Virginia,  and  the  capabil- 
ities of  Bermuda  were  examined  into,  that  the  islands 
excited  any  attention  in  Europe. 

"  The  expedition,  after  a  favorable  run  to  the  Gulf  of 
Bahama,  encountered  a  severe  hurricane.  The  vessels 
were  each  driven  in  a  different  direction,  and  the  crew 
of  the  principal  one,  the  Sea  Adventure,  with  whom  were 
Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Admiral  Sir  George  Somers,  and 
Captain  Newport  —  the  first-mentioned  to  act  as  deputy 
governor  under  Lord  Delaware  —  were  miraculously  pre- 


52  THE   BERMUDAS. 

served  from  a  watery  grave,  by  the  vessel  being  wedged 
between  two  rocks  at  the  east  end  of  Bermuda,  and  by 
means  of  a  boat  and  skiff,  the  whole,  to  the  number  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  with  a  great  portion  of  the 
provisions  and  tackling,  were  landed." 

"  And  the  shore  is  now  called,  from  the  name  of  the 
ship,  Sea  Adventure  Flat,"  remarked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  Right,  Captain,"  nodded  the  Professor,  and  then  con- 
tinued :  "  With  as  little  delay  as  possible  after  their  sad 
disaster,  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated  vessel  got  in  readiness 
and  dispatched  the  long-boat,  with  Raven,  the  mate,  and 
eight  men,  to  Virginia,  to  bring  shipping  for  their  con- 
veyance ;  but  after  eight  months  had  elapsed,  no  tidings 
of  the  boat's  crew  arrived,  and  Sir  George  and  his  men 
built  two  cedar  vessels,  one  of  eighty  tons,  the  Deliver- 
ance, and  the  other  of  thirty  tons, .the  Patience.  There 
was  but  one  bolt  of  iron  in  Sir  George's  vessel,  and  that 
was  in  her  keel.  The  seams  of  both  vessels  were  closed 
up  with  a  mixture  of  lime  and  oil,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  them  water-tight. 

"In  commemoration  of  the  unfortunate  shipwreck, 
Gates  attached  a  wooden  cross  to  a  large  cedar  tree,  and 
placed  a  silver  toin,  together  with  an  inscription  on  a 
copper  plate,  in  the  middle  of  it,  which  ran  about  as 
follows :  '  That  the  cross  was  the  remains  of  a  ship  of 
three  hundred  tons,  called  the  Sea  Adventure,  bound, 
with  eight  more,  to  Virginia.  That  she  contained  two 
knights  —  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Governor  of  the  Colony,  and 
Sir  George  Somers,  Admiral  of  the  Seas  —  who,  together 
with  her  captain,  Christopher  Newport,  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty  mariners  and  passengers  besides,  had  got  safe 
ashore  when  she  was  lost,  28th  July,  1609.' 

"  Gates  and  Somers  left  Bermuda  for  Virginia  on  the 
10th  of  May,  1610,  in  their  cedar  vessels,  having  left  two 
men  behind ;  and  they  arrived  at  Jamestown  on  the  23d 


THE   BERMUDAS.  53 

of  May.  Sir  George,  after  remaining  but  a  short  time  at 
Jamestown,  left  that  place  for  Bermuda,  in  company  with 
Captain  Argall,  afterwards  Governor  of  Virginia.  They 
were  driven  northward  by  contrary  winds,  nearly  to  Cape 
Cod,  where  they  were  enveloped  in  such  dense  fogs  that 
the  two  vessels  were  separated,  and  Argall  returned  to 
his  station.  Somers,  whose  name  the  islands  then  bore, 
though  the  original  one  of  Bermuda  has  since  prevailed, 
pushed  steadily  on,  and  arrived  at  Bermuda  on  the  19th 
of  June ;  but  from  age  and  fatigue  of  the  voyage,  he 
survived  only  a  short  time.  His  body  was  embalmed, 
and  the  colonists,  alarmed  at  the  untimely  fate  of  their 
energetic  commander,  disregarded  his  dying  exhortation 
to  use  their  utmost  endeavors  for  the  benefit  of  the  plan- 
tations and  to  return  to  Virginia,  sailed  for  England  with 
his  remains,  in  the  little  vessel  of  thirty  tons,  and  shortly 
after  their  arrival  the  embalmed  body  of  their  hero  was 
buried  in  White  Church,  Dorsetshire. 

"Attempts  were  now  seriously  made  by  England  to 
colonize  Bermuda,  and  on  the  llth  of  July,  1612,  a 
vessel  with  sixty  emigrants  arrived,' and  was  conducted 
into  harbor  by  three  men  who  had  been  left  on  the 
island.  They  were  attracted  hither  by  the  hope  of  find- 
ing ambergris. 

"  The  attention  of  England  was  now  roused  in  favor  of 
Bermuda,  by  the  report  of  Captain  Matthew  Somers,  the 
nephew  and  heir  of  Sir  George.  Publicity  was  given  to 
highly-colored  statements  and  great  exaggerations,  in 
contrast  with  the  dark  ideas  formerly  prevalent.  Jour- 
dan  remarks  that '  this  prodigious  and  enchanted  place, 
which  had  been  shunned  as  a  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  and 
where  no  one  had  ever  landed  but  against  his  will,  was 
really  the  richest,  healthfulest,  and  most  pleasing  land 
ever  man  set  foot  on.'  Strachy  sums  up  his  pithy  remark 
by  saying  that  the  company  '  liked  it  very  well.' 


54  THE   BEEMUDAS. 

"  The  Virginia  Company,  after  having  bestirred  them- 
selves in  representations  to  King  James  I,  showing  the 
vast  importance  and  the  proximity  of  Bermuda  to  his 
Majesty's  '  plantation '  of  Virginia,  succeeded  in  procur- 
ing an  extension  of  their  charter,  on  the  12th  of  March, 
1612,  to  embrace  Bermuda  in  their  boundaries,  for  the 
purpose  of  trade  with  the  mother  country  and  British 
America;  and  England  wras  now  actively  engaged  in 
fostering  it.  Shortly  afterwards  the  islands  were  sold  by 
that  company  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  gentlemen,  who 
formed  a  company  of  their  own,  under  the  name  and 
style  of  the  Governor  and  Company  of  the  City  of  Lon- 
don, for  the  '  plantation '  of  the  Somer  Islands. 

"  Amidst  all  this  additional  strength  to  its  resources, 
Richard  Moor  was  sent  out  -as  governor  for  Bermuda. 
Governor  Moor's  administration  was  an  active  one; 
he  laid  the  foundation  of  eight  or  nine  forts,  and  had 
everything  placed  in  readiness  in  case  of  hostilities  or 
aggression.  He  removed  the  seat  of  government  from 
Smith  Island  to  St.  George's,  and  having  built  a  cabin, 
which  he  thatched  with  palmetto  leaves,  as  a  residence, 
the  rest  of  the  colonists  soon  followed  his  example.  He 
built  also  a  church  of  cedar,  which  was  in  time  destroyed 
by  a  tempest,  and  he  afterward  directed  another  to  be 
built  of  palmetto  branches,  in  a  place  better  sheltered 
from  the  weather. 

"Scarcity  and  want  prevailed  for  two  years,  to  an 
alarming  extent,  and  the  colony  was  covered  with  a 
veil  of  gloom  and  despondency,  which  was  increased  by 
a  fatal  sickness,  of  which  many  died.  Sometime  after, 
the  ship  Welcome  arrived  with  stores,  which  afforded 
relief  to  the  people.  About  this  time  the  potato  and 
tobacco  were  first  cultivated.  During  Governor  Moor's 
administration,  the  company  employed  Richard  Norwood 
in  dividing  the  island  into  tribes  and  shares,  fifty  shares 


THE    BERMUDAS.  55 

being  allotted  to  each  tribe.  Moor  displeased  the  com- 
pany by  opposing  their  projected  division  of  the  colony 
into  shares,  in  which  he  insisted  that  neither  his  own 
interest  nor  that  of  the  colonists  was  duly  considered. 
This  displeasure  of  the  company  was  followed  by  Moor's 
recall,  and  the  ship  Welcome  took  him  home,  leaving  the 
administration  in  charge  of  six  persons,  who  were  to 
rule,  each  in  turn,  one  month.  Governor  Moor  was 
indefatigable  in  his  exertions  for  the  benefit  of  the 
colony.  He  was  a  man  of  ordinary  condition,  a  carpen- 
ter by  trade,  but  by  his  firmness,  prudence,  and  popular 
manners,  he  soon  silenced  all  impertinence,  and  shamed 
all  attempts  at  opposition  in  England. 

"  He  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  Tucker,  in  May,  1616, 
when  a  very  important  era  dawned  upon  the  islands,  as 
a  court  of  general  assize  was  held  at  St.  George  in  the 
second  month  of  Tucker's  administration,  being  the  first 
real  attempt  to  establish  law  and  justice  in  the  group. 

"  This  measure  met  with  the  usual  opposition,  and  a 
Frenchman  w^as  hanged  for  speaking  'many  distasteful 
and  mutinous  speeches  against  the  governor.'  The  dis- 
couraging and  afflicting  circumstances  of  the  state  of 
society  at  this  period  naturally  required  a  remedy,  and 
it  was  thought  necessary  by  Tucker  to  make  an  example 
of  the  first  culprit  for  the  suppression  of  the  mutiny." 

"  Strange  that  the  first  culprit  should  have  been  a 
Frenchman,"  mused  Eugene. 

"  Ah,  you  think  the  culprit  may  have  been  a  victim ! " 
exclaimed  the  Professor.  "  Well,  I  must  say,  that  while 
Tucker  appears  to  have  been  a  most  persevering  and 
painstaking  governor,  and  thoroughly  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  his  duties,  yet,  in  attempting  to  establish 
order  among  the  boisterous  colonists,  and  to  correct  the 
mutinous  spirit  which  then  existed  among  them,  he 
appears  to  have  adopted  high-handed  measures.  The 


56  THE   BERMUDAS. 

islands  underwent  many  convulsions,  and  society  was 
in  a  wretched  condition,  owing  to  the  constant  animosity 
between  the  governor  and  the  settlers ;  the  latter  being 
still  held  in  check  by  the  absurd  policy  of  the  governor. 
The  cruel  discipline  and  severe  labor  which  he  exacted 
of  them  created  great  disgust,  and  at  length  excited 
many  to  attempt  desperate  means  to  escape  from  the 
islands.  Five  persons  succeeded  in  building  a  boat  of 
three  tons,  under  the  pretence  of  its  being  for  the  use  of 
the  governor  4  and  previous  to  their  departure  for  Eng- 
land, one  of  the  party  borrowed  a  compass  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Hughes,  for  whom  he  left  a  very  ludicrous  note,  recom- 
mending patience  under  the  loss." 

"  Ah,  I  remember  reading  of  that,"  said  Chester,  "  Mr. 
Hughes  had  preached  several  sermons  on  patience  about 
that  time." 

"  Yes,  and  so  I  suppose  they  thought  they  would  give 
him  a  chance  to  exercise  the  virtue,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  Three  weeks  after  they  sailed,  they  encountered  a 
strong  gale,  but  their  little  craft  was  fortunate  in  her 
contest  with  the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  after  great 
privations  the  bold-hearted  sailors  arrived  in  Ireland ; 
there  their  cruise  was  held  to  be  so  marvelous  that  the 
Earl  of  Thomond  ordered  that  they  should  be  received 
and  entertained,  and  their  brave  little  bark  hung  up  as 
a  monument  of  the  extraordinary  voyage.  The  governor 
was  highly  enraged  at  their  escape,  and  threatened  to 
hang  the  whole  if  they  returned. 

"  Shortly  after  Governor  Tucker's  arrival  he  was  suc- 
cessful, as  we  are  told,  in  obtaining  from  the  West  Indies 
*  Figgs,  Pynes,  an  Indian,  and  a  Negar.'  These  were 
the  first  slaves  brought  to  the  islands ;  but  slavery  be- 
came very  general  as  early  as  1632. 

"  The  ship  Diana  arrived  from  Europe  with  a  supply 
of  stores  and  men,  and  after  remaining  a  few  weeks, 


THE   BERMUDAS.  57 

returned  to  England  with  30,000 '  pounds  of  tobacco, 
which  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  proprietors.  Great 
complaints  of  Tucker's  cruelty  were  forwarded  by  this 
ship,  and,  to  justify  himself,  he  went  home  in  Decem- 
ber, 161&,  leaving  the  government  in  charge  of  Captain 
Kendall. 

"  The  company  did  not  think  fit  to  send  him  back,  but 
appointed  in  his  place  Captain  Nathaniel  Butler,  who 
sailed  in  July,  1619,  and  arrived  in  October,  with  four 
ships  and  five  hundred  men ;  this  doubled  the  number 
already  in  the  colony.  Butler  gave  great  satisfaction,  by 
modeling  his  administration  on  the  principle  of  the  home 
government." 

After  a  brief  pause  the  Professor  continued : 

"  We  have  seen  that  disputes,  while  as  yet  their  num- 
bers scarcely  amounted  to  hundreds,  composed  the  chief 
portion  of  the  early  history  of  the  colonists.  The  first 
cultivators  of  the  soil,  being  white  laborers,  were  soon 
found  unequal  to  the  fatigues  of  agriculture  in  a  warm 
climate,  and  it  therefore  bjecame  necessary  to  procure 
Africans.  These,  at  the  time  of  their  first  importation, 
were  actually  considered  an  intermediate  race  between 
man  and  monkey.  Such  a  doctrine,  I  believe,  was  really 
promulgated,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  somewhat  of 
the  oMsgust  which  had  come  to  prevail  against  the  traffic 
of  buying  and  selling  our  fellow-creatures.  There  were 
at  this  time,  and  long  afterwards,  as  is  Avell  known,  mon- 
sters in  human  shape,  who  sailed  the  seas,  and  made  it 
their  chief  business  to  steal  the  helpless  and  unwary  from 
the  shores  of  England  ;  whole  villages  were  laid  desolate, 
and  the  inhabitants  carried  off  and  sold  in  the  colonies. 
No  animal  more  savage  than  such  men.  But  the  curse 
of  God  was  upon  these  pirates  and  man-stealers. 

"  The  colonists  refused  to  purchase  their  Christian 
brethren,  or  to  receive  their  fellow-creatures  into  slavery 
3* 


58  THE    BERMUDAS/ 

from  their  kidnappers ;  and  hence  it  became  necessary, 
as  I  suppose,  for  the  traders  to  assert  that  the  negro  was 
only  half  human.  You  may  smile  at  this  assertion  ;  but 
the  subject  was  seriously  discussed,  both  in  England  and 
in  the  colonies,  and  it  was  decided  at  one  time  that  they 
were  unworthy  of  baptism,  and  ought  not  to  be  allowed 
to  enter  where  the  word  of  God  was  preached. 

"  The  first  general  assembly  for  the  despatch  of  public 
business  was  held  at  St.  George's,  according  to  instruc- 
tions from  England,  on  the  1st  of  August,  1620.  The 
assembly  was  composed  of  the  governor,  council,  bailiffs, 
burgesses,  and  a  secretary,  numbering  thirty-two  in  all ; 
and  during  the  session  fifteen  acts  were  passed,  and 
approved  by  the  proprietors  in  England.  Butler  divided 
the  islands  into  parcels,  which  were  soon  peopled  ;  for, 
in  1623,  there  were  more  than  three  hundred  Eng- 
lish inhabitants.  After  that  time  the  population  was 
increased  by  blacks,  who  now  form  more  than  one-half 
of  the  entire  population. 

"  The  group  continued  to  enjoy  a  high  reputation,  and 
at  the  period  of  civil  commotion  in  England,  along  with 
Virginia,  was  the  resort  of  distinguished  emigrants.  The 
archives  of  the  colony  present  nothing,  so  far  as  I  could 
find,  worthy  of  notice  after  the  civil  wars  in  the  old 
country,  when  many  sought  a  refuge  from  the  tyranny 
of  the  ruling  party  in  the  distant  sanctuary ;  tradition 
only  handing  down  a  succession  of  quarrels  between  the 
governor  and  the  people.  But  really,  my  young  friends, 
I  fear  I  am  wearying  you,  then,  too,  as  our  Captain  would 
say,  it's  high  time  to  turn  in,"  and  so  the  Professor's 
lecture  was  over  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  BERMUDAS  — CONTINUED. 

AFTER  breakfast  the  next  morning,  the  Professor 
and  the  brothers  met  again  on  the  quarter-deck, 
where  Captain  Bradford  speedily  joined  them.  The  Pro- 
fessor had  hardly  seated  himself  in  the  comfortable  cane- 
seat  chair  which  had  been  provided  since  the  evening 
before,  when  Eugene  exclaimed : 

"  Here  we  are,  all  ready  for  a  second  installment  of 
Bermuda.  I  hope  you  are  not  weary  of  the  subject, 
Professor  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  at  all,"  was  the  cheerful  answer ;  "  we  shall 
all  enjoy  our  visit  there  the  more  by  giving  the  matter  a 
little  attention  now." 

"  The  climate  of  the  islands  has  been  greatly  extolled, 
and  justly,  I  believe,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  Ah,  the  climate ! "  exclaimed  the  Professor,  with  ani- 
mation. "  It  has  a  mean  temperature  between  that  of 
the  West  Indies  and  British  North  America,  partaking 
neither  of  the  extreme  heat  of  the  one,  nor  the  excessive 
cold  of  the  other.  It  is  greatly  improved  by  the  warmth 
of  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  sweeps  along  between  Bermuda 
and  the  American  continent ;  the  winter  months  resem- 
bling the  early  part  of  October  in  southern  New  England, 
but  without  its  frosts.  The  sweet  strains  of  the  Bard  of 
Erin  have  sounded  the  praises  of  the  cedar-groves  and 
wood-nymphs  of  the  '  Fairy  Isles,'  as  the  Bermudas  have 
been  styled. by  Shakspeare.  Let  me  see  —  how  does  it 
run  ?  I  am  not  good  at  remembering  poetry." 

(59) 


60  THE   BERMUDAS. 

"  Is  this  it  ?"  and  clearing  his  throat,  Eugene  began : 

"  '  No :  ne'er  did  the  wave  in  its  element  steep 

An  island  of  lovelier  charms; 
It  blooms  in  the  giant  embrace  of  the  deep, 

Like  Hebe  in  Hercules'  arms; 
The  blush  of  your  bowers  is  light  to  the  eye, 

And  their  melody  balm  to  the  ear; 
But  the  fiery  planet  of  day  is  too  nigh, 

And  the  Snow  Spirit  never  comes  here.' " 

"  That 's  it,  my  young  friend.  Thank  you,  very  much, 
indeed.  You  see,  according  to  the  poet,  the  only  draw- 
back is, '  the  fiery  planet  of  day  is  too  nigh.' " 

"  Is  there  much  sickness,  then,  in  the  summer  season?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  No,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  Bermuda  is  not  at  any 
time  so  much  subject  to  diseases  as  are  the  more  northern 
climates.  Epidemics  are  of  unfrequent  occurrence,  and 
the  death  rate  is  very  low." 

"  I  suppose  the  Gulf  Stream  has  a  great  influence  on 
the  climate,"  said  Chester. 

"  You  are  right,"  was  the  reply.  "  The  effects  of  the 
Gulf  Stream  on  the  climate  of  Bermuda  are  very  mani- 
fest. This  powerful  current,  after  rising  under  the  tropic, 
and  flowing  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  through  the  Straits 
of  Bahama,  runs  in  a  northeasterly  direction  along  the 
American  coast,  washing  the  Great  Bank  of  Newfound- 
land, and,  after  flowing  upwards  of  3,000  miles,  finally 
reaches  the  Azores,  and  even  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  The 
temperature  of  the  water  of  this  current  is  eight  degrees 
above  that  of  the  surrounding  sea  at  the  Great  Bank,  and 
five  degrees  above  the  temperature  of  the  sea  at  the 
Azores.  Rennel  estimates  the  dimensions  of  the  current 
and  the  track  that  receives  it  at  2,000  miles  in  length, 
and  350  in  breadth.  Both  are  marked  by  the  seaweed, 
and  are  well  known  to  mariners.  By  this  cauldron  of 


THE   BERMUDAS.  61 

warm  water  the  icebergs  from  the  north  are  dissolved ; 
the  surrounding  waters  and  superincumbent  atmosphere 
are  warmed,  and  the  temperature  of  the  neighboring 
continent  elevated.  A  proper  retreat  is  also  afforded  to 
the  various  kinds  of  fish  after  their  season  of  spawning 
has  passed,  and  while  the  severity  of  the  frost  drives 
them  from  the  shores.  Such  are  some  of  the  leading 
operations  perceived  in  the  economy  of  nature  in  this 
part  of  the  world." 

The  speaker  paused,  and  Eugene  presently  said : 

"  The  Bermudans  have  plenty  of  rain  and  fog,. I  believe, 
Professor  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  the  atmosphere  brought  over 
the  land  from  the  southwest,  being  loaded  with  vapor 
given  off  from  the  warm  sea  surface,  is  frequently  charged 
with  rain ;  and  the  condensation  carried  on  by  the  cooler 
land  surface  along  the  coast  in  the  spring,  produces  fogs. 
The  atmosphere  over  the  interior  lands,  however,  soon 
acquires  the  temperature  necessary  to  dispel  these  fogs, 
and  therefore,  while  some  of  the  shores  are  obscured  by 
them,  the  inland  districts  enjoy  a  clear  sky.  From  the 
proximity  of  Bermuda  to  the  Gulf  Stream,  it  enjoys  the 
improved  climate  thus  produced  in  the  highest  degree." 

"  The  climate,  so  improved,"  said  Chester,  "  must  have 
a  good  effect  on  the  products  of  the  islands." 

"  The  effects  of  the  climate  upon  the  agricultural  pro- 
duce are  more  favorable  than  in  other  countries  under 
the  same  mean  annual  temperature.  Besides  many  of 
the  fruits  of  the  temperate  regions,  the  heat  of  summer 
permits  those  of  a  tropical  character  to  flourish ;  hence  a 
greater  variety  may  be  produced  than  in  any  other  part 
of  the  world.  The  season  for  vegetation  is  sufficiently 
extended  to  ripen  a  great  many  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables, 
and  fruit." 

"  Which  is  the  most  agreeable  season  at  Bermuda  ? " 
asked  Eugene. 


62  THE   BERMUDAS. 

"  The  most  agreeable  season,"  responded  the  Professor, 
"  is  the  winter,  or  cold  season,  which  lasts  from  November 
to  March,  the  mean  temperature  being  60°.  The  prevail- 
ing winds  are  then  from  the  westward ;  but  if  from  the 
northwest,  fine,  hard  weather,  with  a  clear  sky,  accom- 
panies them,  the  thermometer  varying  from  50°  to  56°. 
This  weather  often  terminates  in  a  very  fine,  bright  day, 
with  a  very  slight  wind  and  partial  calms ;  afterwards,  the 
wind  invariably  changes  to  the  southwest,  and  the  weather 
becomes  hazy,  damp,  and  attended  with  heavy  rains  and 
gales,  the  thermometer  rising  to  66°  and  70°." 

"  These  alternate  northwesterly  and  southwesterly 
winds  prevail  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  do 
they  riot?"  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  for  nine  months,  when  the  wind  remains  at  no 
other  point  for  any  length  of  time.  The  change  is 
shown  by  a  difference  of  14°  in  the  temperature." 

"  With  regard  to  the  form  of  government,  Professor, 
can  you  give  us  an  idea  ? "  asked  Eugene,  who  had  had 
quite  enough  of  the  climate  and  winds. 

"  On  that  head  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  say  more 
than  a  word,"  responded  the  palaeontologist.  "  Bermuda, 
and,  indeed,  most  of  the  West  Indian  colonies,  appear 
externally  to  be  governed  on  the  model  of  England ;  but' 
in  reality  they  only  possess  in  a  small  degree  the  genuine 
spirit  of  the  mother  country.  They  are  practical  repub- 
lics, and  present  as  faithful  a  picture  of  the  petty  States 
of  old  Greece  as  the  change  of  manners  and  religion  will 
allow.  There  is  the  same  equality  among  them,  the 
same  undue  conception  of  their  own  importance,  the 
same  irritability  of  temper,  which  has  ever  been  the 
characteristic  curse  of  all  little  commonwealths." 

"  Perhaps  one  trouble  is,  that  the  model  they  have 
patterned  after  is  too  large,"  laughed  Eugene. 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  Professor,  "  the  forms  of 


THE   BERMUDAS.  63 

the  English  Parliament  are  indeed  too  gigantic  for  the 
capacities  of  little  islands ;  the  colonists,  as  has  been  well 
said,  are  not  elevated  by  the  size,  but  lost  in  the  folds  of 
the  mighty  robe,  which  was  never  destined  for  their  use. 

"  In  Bermuda  the  Legislature  consists  of  three  branches 
—  the  governor,  who  is  the  Queen's  representative  ;  the 
legislative  council,  consisting  of  a  limited  number,  ap- 
pointed by  the  Queen ;  and  the  general  assembly,  con- 
sisting of  thirty-six  members,  elected  by  the  people. 
The  members  of  the  assembly  and  council  are  each  paid 
eight  shillings  sterling  per  diem  when  on  duty ;  this 
sum  is  voted  annually,  and  entails  on  the  colony  a 
considerable  expense. 

"  The  three  branches  of  the  Legislature  enact  laws  in 
a  way  similar  to  the  Queen,  Lords,  and  Commons  in 
England ;  but  any  act  may  be  set  aside  by  the  Queen's 
disallowing  it." 

"You  say  the  House  is  composed  of  thirty-six  mem- 
bers," observed  Chester ;  "  what  population  do  they  repre- 
sent?" 

"  Not  more  than  12,000,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Good  gracious !  then  there  is  one  representative  to 
every  333  of  the  inhabitants  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  at  no  time  does  party  spirit  run  so  high 
as  at  the  election  of  a  member.  Upon  such  occasions 
the  whole  island  is  in  a  ferment.  As  wTfth  us,  to  be  a 
voter,  is  to  stamp  a  man  of  one  party  or  the  other." 

"  So  party  spirit  really  runs  high  among  the  Bermu- 
dans?"  . 

"  It  is  utterly  impossible  for  any  one  who  has  not 
visited  the  islands  to  form  an  idea  of  the  length  .to 
which  it  is  carried.  It  enters  into  the  most  private 
relations  of  life.  A  tory  and  a  radical  are  as  distinct, 
and  have  as  little  in  common  between  them,  as  if  they 
were  men  not  only  of  different  countries,  but  of  countries 


64  THE   BERMUDAS. 

hostile  to  each  other.  The  most  admirable  proposition 
that  united  wisdom  and  patriotism  ever  contrived,  if 
emanating  from  one  party,  would  be  received  with  cool- 
ness by  the  other.  In  private  society,  too,  the  distinction 
is  very  strongly  marked;  families  of  different  parties 
do  not  mingle ;  and  even  tradesmen  find  their  custom 
affected  in  a  considerable  degree  by  these  political 
divisions. 

"  Although  this  party  spirit  is  in  itself  so  thoroughly 
unimportant  and  contemptible  —  to  all,  excepting  those 
who  are  under  its  influence  —  yet  it  deserves  notice  in 
as  far  as  it  influences  the  state  of  society,  in  impeding 
the  progress  of  civilization  and  the  march  of  improve- 
ment. It  has  extinguished  public  spirit,  which  exists 
only  among  a  few;  for  the  petty  triumph  of  party  is 
preferred,  at  all  times,  to  the  public  good.  All  persons 
of  intelligence  must  allow  that  —  the  natural  advantages 
of  climate  and  productions  of  the  islands  being  so  great 
—  if  there  were  a  government,  however  severe,  which 
had  the  will  and  power  to  insure  protection  to  capital 
and  investment,  and  to  suppress  the  evils  attending  on 
the  periodical  elections  to  the  house  of  assembly,  Ber- 
muda would  become  one  of  the  richest  colonies  of  the 
world." 

"Let's  hope  that  they'll  soon  have  less  politics  and 
better  government,"  said  Eugene.  "  I  wish  we  were 
there  now." 

"  But  what  can  we  do  to  amuse  ourselves  when  we  get 
there?"  asked  Chester.  • 

"  I  '11  tell  you  one  thing  you  must  do,  gentlemen,  while 
we  are  in  port,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  with  animation, 
"you  must  go  a  fishing. 

"  Ah !  so  there  is  good  fishing  at  Bermuda  ?"  exclaimed 
Eugene. 

"  I  should  say  so !  "  rejoined  the  Captain. 


THE  BERMUDAS.  65 

"  How 's  that,  Professor  ? "  asked  Chester,  turning  to 
the  palaeontologist,  with  a  smile. 

"  There  is  no  part  of  the  globe  in  which  a  greater 
variety  and  excellence  of  fish  abound,  than  in  the  waters 
bordering  on  the  shores  of  Bermuda,"  answered  the 
Professor,  emphatically. 

"  Tell  us  about  some  of  them." 

"  Well,  among  the  most  delicate,  I  may  mention  the 
angel-fish,  the  chub,  the  grouper,  and  the  rock-fish. 
These  are  considered  by  connoisseurs  to  be  the  most 
esteemed  fish  for  the  table.  The  most  common  descrip- 
tions are  the  snappers,  yellowtails,  hinds,  the  grunts, 
and  the  squirrels.  Many  of  these  are  of  brilliant  colors. 
The  yellqwtail,  for  example,  is  pale  azure  on  the  back, 
and  pearly  white  below,  with  a  broad  band  of  the  richest 
yellow  along  each  side,  which  is  the  hue  also  of  the 
dorsal  and  caudal  fins.  The  spotted  snapper  is  white, 
traversed  by  longitudinal  lines  of  yellow ;  the  dorsal  and 
caudal  fins  have  borders  of  rose-pink,  and  there  is  a 
large  oval  black  spot  on  each  flank.  The  hind  is  a 
handsome  fish.  It  is  studded  with  scarlet  spots  on  a 
grayish  ground ;  the  fins  are  yellow,  especially  the  caudal, 
with  black  borders,  having  a  narrow  white  edge.  Some- 
times the  pectorals  are  brilliantly  scarlet. 

"  But  those  just  named  yield  to  the  different  species 
of  Hcemulon,  which,  under  the  name  of  grunts,  are  well- 
known  and  highly  esteemed  throughout  Bermuda.  Their 
characteristic  markings  and  hues  are  oblique  parallel 
lines  of  gold,  on  a  silver  or  metallic  azure  ground,  with 
delicately  tinted  fins,  and  sometimes  spots  of  peculiarly 
intense  luster;  the  whole  interior  of  their  mouth  is 
generally  of  the  finest  scarlet." 

"And  we  can  really  catch  some  of  these  beauties,  can 
we  ? "  asked  Eugene,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  all  of  them  are  taken  with  the  line,  as  well  as 
with  the  seine,  and  in  pots." 


66  THE   BERMUDAS. 

"  Which  are  considered  the  best  eating  ? " 

"  The  snappers  are  perhaps  more  highly  esteemed  than 
the  grunts.,  but  both  are  excellent." 

"  Where  are  these  fish  found  in  greatest  abundance  — 
that  is,  where  is  the  best  fishing  ?  " 

"  They  chiefly  frequent  what  is  called  '  broken  ground/ 
where  patches  of  white  sand  alternate  with  masses  of 
rough  rock  and  fields  of  grass-like  weeds.  They  range 
from  deep  water  to  the  rocky  shore ;  are  taken  abund- 
antly with  the  seine,  and  bite  freely  at  a  bait  of  pilchard ; 
but  only  fish  of  small  and  middling  size  are  commonly 
caught  in  pots.  The-  fish  of  large  dimensions  (of  two 
feet  and  a  half)  will  rarely  bite  at  a  hook  worked  in 
the  usual  manner.  For  them  the  fisherman  takes  a  wire 
hook  as  large  as  a  goose-quill,  which  he  throws  over- 
board, baited  with  a  pilchard,  but  in  a  peculiar  fashion. 
One  side  of  the  pilchard  is  split  nearly  off,  remaining 
attached  only  by  the  tail ;  this  is  allowed  to  hang  free, 
and  a  slice  from  the  back  and  one  from  the  belly  are 
allowed  to  hang  in  the  same  way.  The  hook  is  then 
passed  in  at  the  mouth,  out  at  the  gills,  and  again 
through  the  middle,  and  the  head  is  tied  to  the  top  of 
the  hook ;  another  slice  is  then  put  upon  the  hook,  and 
made  to  hang  down.  This  is  designated  a  '  full  bait.' " 

"  I  should  say  so  !  "  remarked  Eugene. 

"  No  sinker  is  attached,"  the  Professor  went  on,  "  but 
its  own  weight  i&  sufficient  to  carry  it  nearly  to  the 
bottom.  The  line  being  passed  with  two  turns  round 
the  fisherman's  finger,  he  scats  himself  comfortably  in 
his  boat,  and  awaits  the  bite  of  the  first  large  fish  that 
may  choose  to  essay  the  baited  hook  ;  which  it  usually 
does  by  taking  in  the  whole  at  a  gulp. 

"The  seine  at  Bermuda,  as  elsewhere,  is  the  chief 
resource  of  the  fisherman ;  and  many  kinds  of  fish  are 
taken  by  this  means  that  rarely  enter  a  fish-pot  or  seize 


THE  BERMUDAS.  67 

a  bait,  together  with  many  species  that  are  called  '  rub- 
bish,' as  being  of  no  esteem  in  the  market,  though  often 
interesting  to  the  naturalist. 

"  There  are  many  other  fishes,  such  as  the  goat-fish,  the 
angel  chaetodon,  the  doctor-fish,  the  parrot-fish,  the  soap- 
fish,  and  a  sort  of  turbot.  Then  there  are  others,  such 
as  sharks,  hedgehog-fishes,  whales,  et  hoc  genus  omne ; 
but  these  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe.  I  will  only 
remark  that  a  considerable  tonnage  in  boats,  and  a  num- 
ber of  people,  are  employed  in  the  Bermuda  fisheries; 
the  produce  of  which  forms  a  large  item  in  the  consump- 
tion of  the  islands." 

"  Let 's  see,  how  many  islands  are  there  in  the 
group?"  asked  Chester,  presently. 

"It  is  said  there  are  365,"  answered  the  Professor; 
"but  if  so,  some  of  them  are  mere  rocks.  The  chief 
of  the  group  is  Great  Bermuda  Island,  containing  the 
town  of  Hamilton  ;  St.  George's,  with  its  town  of  the 
same  name ;  Somerset  Island ;  and  Ireland  Island,  on 
which  is  the  dock-yard.  Besides  these,  there  are  St. 
David's,  Longbird,  Paget's,  Smith's,  Cooper's,  Nonsuch, 
Castle,  and  many  inferior  in  size." 

"  Tell  us  something  of  the  Great  Bermuda,"  said 
Eugene,  "  that  being  the  most  important  island  of  the 
group." 

"  The  Great  Bermuda,  termed  by  way  of  distinction 
the  '  mainland,' "  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  was  originally 
divided  into  eight  districts,  called  'tribes.'  Hamilton 
tribe,  which  is  the  most  northern  and  eastern,  is  a 
mere  belt  of  sand,  rock,  and  a  little  vegetable  mould, 
surrounding  a  lagoon,  which  is  called  Harrington  Sound. 
This  fine  sheet  of  water  might  be  made  a  secure  harbor 
for  shipping  by  cutting  a  canal  into  it,  the  present  chan- 
nel being  a  mere  shallow  creek. 

'i  The  Hamlet  of  the  Flatts,  is  situated  on  the  southern 


68  THE   BERMUDAS. 

bank  of  the  creek,  in  Smith's  tribe.  Tuckerstown,  which 
lies  eastward  of  the  lagoon,  appertains  to  Hamilton  tribe. 
Smith  and  Devonshire  tribes  follow  in  succession,  in  a 
southwesterly  direction.  Pembroke  occupies  a  spur  of 
the  island,  which  there  trends  in  an  east  and  west  direc- 
tion, and  is  divided  from  Paget  tribe  by  an  inlet  called 
Paget  Port  —  commonly  Crow  Lane." 

"  I  suppose  Hamilton  is  n't  much  of  a  place  ? "  said 
Eugene,  interrogatively. 

"  The  town  of  Hamilton,"  returned  the  Professor, 
"  presents  little  that  is  attractive  to  a  stranger,  though 
its  aspect  is  characteristic  enough  of  West  Indian  man- 
ners ;  it  is  situated  in  Pembroke,  and  on  the  north  side 
of  the  inlet ;  it  is  a  free  port,  and  the  seat  of  the  legis- 
lature. You  climb  the  wharf,  and  are  immediately  in  a 
broad,  long,  rather  low  and  straight  street,  which  is  the 
front  street,  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  bordered  by  a  row 
of  the  Pride-of-India  trees,  which  forms  a  pleasant  shade 
during  the  summer  months.  There  is  no  pavement,  and 
the  sandy  earth  is  plowed  into  ruts  by  the  carts.  Most 
of  the  houses  are  '  shops,'  or  stores,  as  we  would  call 
them ;  each  store,  whatever  the  character  of  its  mer- 
chandise —  whether  shoes,  dry  goods,  hardware,  liquors, 
tobacco,  provisions,  or  what  not  —  being  usually  fitted 
up  in  the  same  manner,  and  having  an  open  piazza  in 
front,  two  or  three  yards  wide,  the  roof  being  supported 
by  slender  pillars.  Behind  this  piazza  is  the  store,  which 
is  furnished  with  counters  and  shelves,  somewhat  in  the 
American  style;  and  over  all  are  the  rooms  of  the  dwel- 
ling-house, furnished  with  jalousies,  or  strong  Venetian 
blinds,  which  admit  light  and  air  from  beneath,  and 
exclude  the  sun's  rays.  Towards  the  suburbs  the  stores 
cease,  the  houses  become  more  elegant,  each  enclosed 
in  a  court  or  garden,  Avhich  is  often  adorned  with  the 
beautiful  fragrant  blossoming  trees  and  plants  of  the 


THE   BERMUDAS.  69 

island,  or  such  as  unite  fruit  with  beauty  and  shade. 
Of  the  former,  the  rose-geranium,  the  white-jessamine, 
and  the  oleander  or  South  Sea  rose,  —  both  beautiful  and 
odorous  —  are  great  favorites  ;  and  of  the  latter  we  meet 
with  the  wide-spreading  pomegranate,  the  tall  pawpaw, 
and  the  golden-fruited  members  of  the  citrus  genus,  from 
the  gigantic  shaddock  to  the  diminutive  lime. 

"  The  town  of  Hamilton  is  backed  by  a  range  of 
heights;  but  between  these  heights  and  the  town  there 
is  a  level,  varying  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  breadth. 
This  level  forms  a  semi-circular  suburb,  the  arch  of 
which  is  not  less  than  three  miles ;  and  a  large  portion 
of  this  space  is  occupied  by  villas  and  cottage  residences, 
with  their  gardens  and  orchards,  the  property  chiefly  of 
the  native  inhabitants  of  Bermuda,  and  occupied  either 
by  themselves,  or  by  the  foreign  residents  to  whom  they 
are  let.  These  residences  are  not  confined  to  the  level 
ground ;  they  encroach  upon  the  heights  also,  adorning 
the  slopes  and  crowning  the  eminences  ;  and  the  general 
neatness  of  the  exterior  of  these  villas,  with  the  sub- 
stantial garden-walls  and  luxuriant  foliage,  produce  a 
very  favorable  impression  on  the  stranger. 

"  The  houses  of  those  who  are  not  in  business,  and  of 
many  of  the  most  opulent  merchants,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  suburbs,  and  in  those  newer  streets  which  form  the 
outlets ;  where  also  the  English  and  foreign  residents 
principally  abide.  Some  of  these  streets  are  pretty, 
regular,  and  well  built,  having  an  open  space,  together 
with  an  ornamental  garden-plot,  in  front  of  them.  North 
of  the  town  is  a  hill,  called  Mount  Langton,  on  which 
is  the  Government  house,  and  a  flag-staff,  by  means 
of  which  communication  is  kept  up  between  St.  George, 
the  dock-yard,  and  Gibbs'  Hill.  A  few  miles  to  the 
northwest  of  Mount  Langton  is  the  residence  of  the 
Admiral  —  St.  John's  Hill,  or  Clarence  Lodge. 


70  THE   BERMUDAS. 

"  It  is  fortunate  for  us,  and  for  all  visitors,  that  Ber- 
muda possesses  other  attractions  than  those  offered  by 
its  public  buildings  ;  for  these  are  devoid  of  either  beauty 
or  interest ;  indeed,  with  the  exception  of  Trinity  church, 
the  new  hotel,  the  public  offices,  and  two  of  the  chapels 
in  Hamilton,  there  are  none  deserving  the  name ;  and 
of  these,  Trinity  church  and  the  new  hotel  have  alone 
any  claim  to  architectural  design." 

At  this  moment  the  lookout  forward  created  a  diver- 
sion by  calling  out,  in  stentorian  tones,  "  Land  ho ! " 

Instantly 'Captain  Bradford  left  the  group  and  hurried 
forward.  Next,  Chester  and  Eugene  started  to  their  feet, 
and  joining  the  lookout,  peered  off  eagerly  in  the  direc- 
tion indicated  by  that  individual.  The  Professor,  with 
more  deliberation,  arose  from  his  comfortable  seat,  and 
taking  his  lorgnette  from  its  case,  raised  the  instrument 
to  his  eyes  and  directed  it  toward  the  horizon,  carefully 
adjusting  the  sights  to  the  right  focus  as  he  gazed. 

In  a  few  minutes  all  had  made  out  the  land ;  and 
presently,  as  the  brothers  returned  to  the  quarterdeck, 
the  Professor  turned  to  them  and  said: 

"Well,  young  gentlemen,  you  have  heard  something 
of  Bermuda,  and  now  you  see  the  Fairy  Isles!" 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  BERMUDAS,   COKCLTJDED  —  THE  BAHAMAS. 

AS  they  approached  nearer  and  nearer  to  their  des- 
tination, their  interest  was  intensified  by  the 
beauties  which  were  spread  out  before  them  on  every 
hand.  The  limpid  waters,  the  innumerable  isles  and 
islets,  the  vessels  and  pleasure-boats,  darting  here  and 
there,  the  flowers  and  running  vines  which  almost  hid 
the  dwellings  they  embraced,  all  helped  to  make  up  a 
scene  of  rare  and  wondrous  beauty.  And  so,  thread- 
ing their  way  through  the  delightful  archipelago,  they 
suddenly  found  themselves  in  the  charming  harbor  of 
Hamilton. 

The  arrival  of  the  Albatross  was  made  known  to  the 
islanders  by  the  display  of  a  flag  from  the  government 
house ;  and  apparently  the  agreeable  news  had  been 
disseminated  throughout  the  group,  for  the  crowd  that 
gathered  on  the  wharf,  like  magic,  was  a  formidable 
one.  The  greater  portion,  of  course,  were  colored,  but 
there  were  many  English,  and  not  a  few  Americans 
among  the  throng. 

The  yacht  was  brought  to  anchor  just  off  Front 
street,  which  the  Professor  informed  the  brothers  was 
the  thoroughfare  he  had  alluded  to  as  being  the  prin- 
cipal street  of  the  town. 

As  soon  as  possible,  they  went  ashore  to  take  a  look 
about  them.  On  the  whole,  the  first  impression  of  the 
place  was  unfavorable.  This  was  owing,  in  some  meas- 
ure, to  the  white  appearance  of  the  streets,  caused  by 

(71) 


72  THE   BERMUDAS. 

the  nature  cf  the  soil,  which  imparts  a  dazzling  glare 
that  is  exceedingly  annoying. 

"No  hackmen  about,  I  notice,"  observed  Eugene, 
glancing  back  toward  the  crowd  they  had  just  left. 
"And  I  missed  the  indefatigable  hotel  runner,  with 
whom  we  are  so  well  acquainted  at  home." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Chester,  "  I  noticed  that  our  island 
friends  didn't  give  us  a  very  noisy  welcome." 

"  The  people  are  not  given  to  making  much  noise  in 
this  latitude,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  it  requires  the  ex- 
penditure of  too  much  energy.  And  if  you  want  to 
ride,  you  will  have  to  send  to  a  hotel  or  stable  for  a 
carriage,  for  no  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  solicit  your 
patronage." 

"  Ah !  that's  a  blessing,  any  way,"  exclaimed  Eugene, 
emphatically.  "  How  often  I  have  been  tempted  to  com- 
mit murder  or  suicide  at  home,  on  emerging  from  a  rail- 
way station." 

"  How  about  a  hotel  ? "  asked  Chester.  "  Is  there  a 
good  one  near?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  there  are  some  three 
or  four  at  no  great  distance.  The  best,  however,  is  the 
Hamilton,  on  the  hill,  yonder ;  which,  as  you  see,  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  town  and  harbor." 

"  That 's  the  place  for  us,  then,"  cried  Eugene.  "  Come 
on."  And  they  pursued  their  way  to  the  hostelry. 

They  found  the  Hamilton  all  they  could  wish ;  and 
after  partaking  of  refreshments,  seated  themselves  on 
the  broad  veranda  and  enjoyed  the  delightful  panorama 
before  them. 

For  three  days  the  Professor  and  his  companions 
were  permitted  to  enjoy  themselves  on  shore,  and  they 
made  good  use  of  the  time.  They  visited  every  point 
of  interest,  and  the  Professor  and  Chester  took  volumi- 
nous notes.  Eugene  was  much  struck  with  St.  George, 


THE   BERMUDAS.  73 

which  he  declared  to  be  quite  his  idea  of  a  Spanish 
town. 

This  quaint  old  place  has  a  most  excellent  harbor, 
which  was  formed  at  great  cost  by  blasting  away  the 
reefs  and  constructing  a  breakwater  on  the  point  of  the 
adjacent  island  of  Ireland.  The  streets  are  narrow  — 
so  narrow,  in  fact,  that  you  might  almost  shake  hands 
with  your  neighbor  in  a  window  across  the  way.  The 
buildings  are  huddled  together  in  a  rather  insane  fashion 
—  quite  delightful,  Eugene  thought.  Here  and  there 
they  came  upon  a  beautiful  garden,  with  a  cosy  cot- 
tage in  the  midst,  and  at  a  pleasant,  home-like  hotel, 
they  found  fair  accommodations.  Taking  it  all  together, 
they  decided  that  the  old  town  was  well  worth  the  visit, 
and  left  it  with  regret.  St.  George  is  now  an  important 
naval  station,  and  is  strongly  fortified. 

In  returning  to  Hamilton,  they  passed  over  a  fine 
ocean  drive  of  eight  or  nine  miles,  going  by  Harrington 
Sound,  and  so  past  the  Devil's  Hole,  or  Neptune's  Grotto, 
between  which  and  the  sound  there  is  a  subterranean 
communication  —  the  sound,  it  will  be  understood,  being 
an  arm  of  the  sea.  Here  they  had  a  splendid  opportu- 
nity to  see  the  various  fish  the  Professor  had  described, 
for  many  that  are  caught  at  the  most  favorable  seasons 
of  the  year  are  kept  here  until  wanted  for  use.  The 
great  basin  will  hold  2,000  or  more,  and  our  party  was 
fortunate  in  finding  it  well  stocked.  There  were  many 
varieties,  and  the  spectacle  was  as  pleasing  as  it  was 
novel.  The  Professor,  who  had  visited  the  grotto  before, 
was  able  to  inform  his  companions  that  these  ponds,  on 
a  small  scale,  were  quite  numerous  throughout  Bermuda. 

On  reaching  Hamilton,  they  found  Captain  Bradford 
anxiously  expecting  them.  An  hour  later  they  were  on 
board,  and  the  Albatross  was  steaming  out  of  the  harbor. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  day  our  friends  did  little 
4 


74  THE   BAHAMAS. 

else  than  talk  of  the  sights  they  had  seen,  and  the  good 
time  they  had  enjoyed  among  "  our  neighbors  the  Ber- 
mudans,"  and  when  night  came  they  had  hardly  ex- 
hausted the  subject. 

Although  they  had  already  been  enjoying  pleasant 
weather,  the  change  in  the  temperature  next  morning 
was  quite  marked.  Lighter  clothing  was  at  once  resort- 
ed to,  and  at  an  early  hour  Captain  Bradford  ordered 
all  hands  aft  to  spread  the  awning.  The  sky  became 
brighter,  the  sea  smoother,  and  of  an  azure  blue. 

After  a  very  brief  passage  they  found  themselves,  just 
at  evening,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Baha- 
mas ;  and  at  dawn  a  long  line  of  keys  lay  before  them, 
and  presently  they  caught  sight  of  cocoa  groves  and 
oceans  of  rich  verdure,  and  then  the  spires  of  a  city 
came  in  sight. 

"  What  island  is  this  ? "  asked  Eugene,  in  great  sur- 
prise ;  for  Captain  Bradford  had  not  intimated  that  he 
thought  of  calling  at  any  port  in  the  Bahamas. 

"New  Providence,"  answered  Mr.  Morgan,  who  was 
standing  near. 

"  New  Providence  ! "  exclaimed  Chester.  "  Then  the 
town  we  see  is  Nassau  ? " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Ah ! "  cried  Eugene,  sarcastically,  "  we  shall  be  very 
glad  to  see  that  place.  Every  Northerner  has  an  abid- 
ing affection  for  Nassau.  We  cannot  but  remember  her 
honest  and  disinterested  conduct  toward  us  during  the 
civil  war.  She  did  more,  1  believe,  to  aid  and  abet  the 
Confederates  than  any  other  place  in  the  world." 

"  She  did  her  full  share,  surely,"  assented  the  Profes- 
sor ;  "  as  did  also  St.  George,  the  queer  old  town  we 
visited  the  other  day." 

"  All  the  Bahamas  belong  to  Great  Britain,  I  believe?" 
said  Chester. 


THE   BAHAMAS.  75 

"Yes,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  ;  for  naturally  they  apper- 
tain to  our  own  country.  A  mere  channel  separates 
them  from  the  coast  of  Florida." 

"  How  many  do  they  number  ? " 

"About  six  hundred,  of  which,  however,  only  fifteen 
are  inhabited,  a  great  many  of  them  being  merely  small 
rocky  islets." 

"  Which  are  the  most  important  ? " 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  I  can  name  them  in  their  order," 
said  the  Professor ;  "  but  among  them  are  Grand  Baha- 
ma, Great  and  Little  Abaco,  Andros,  Eluthera,  and  New 
Providence." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Morgan,  "  and  you  might  add  San 
Salvador,  Rum  Cay,  Crooked  Cay,  Long  Island,  Great 
Exuma,  Watling  Island,  At  wood's  Key,  and  Great  and 
Little  Inagua." 

"That  makes  up  the  fifteen,"  laughed  Eugene. 

"  I  believe  it  does,"  said  the  mate. 

"The  group  spreads  over  a  vast  area,  does  it  not?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  it  is  about  six  hun- 
dred miles  long,  and  has  an  estimated  area  of  upward 
of  3,000  square  miles."  • 

"  And  are  the  inhabited  islands  thickly  settled  ?"  asked 
Eugene. 

"  They  contain  a  population  of  not  far  from  40,000," 
was  the  reply,  "  the  majority  of  whom  are  colored." 

"  The  islands  are  low  and  narrow,  are  they  not  ?  "  said 
Chester. 

"  Yes,  generally  they  are  very  flat,  long,  and  narrow. 
They  are  formed  of  calcareous  rock,  with  a  light  sandy 
soil,  and  are  without  running  streams." 

"  Then  the  people  are  not  blessed  with  good  water,  I 
should  say?" 

"  Yes ;  for  there  are  numerous  springs  on  nearly  all 
the  Islands." 


76  THE   BAHAMAS. 

"  There 's  another  thing  they  are  blessed  with,"  said 
the  mate,  with  animation ;  "  they  have  fruit  in  abund- 
ance." 

"  True,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  in  addition  to 
pine-apples,  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  and  a  great  variety 
of  fruit,  they  produce  vast  quantities  of  maize,  yams, 
sweet  potatoes,  and  sugar-cane." 

"  Then,  too,  there  are  valuable  woods,  like  mahogany, 
Iignum-vita3,  and  fustic,"  suggested  Mr.  Morgan. 

"  And  in  the  more  southerly  islands  there  are  large 
salt  ponds,"  added  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor,  "  the  principal  exports  are 
salt,  sponge,  pine-apples,  and  oranges." 

"  But  is  n't  it  exceedingly  hot  here  ? "  asked  Eugene, 
who  dreaded  anything  above  90°. 

"  It  is  quite  warm  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,"  was 
the  reply  ;  "  but  not  excessively  hot ;  indeed,  the  climate 
is  salubrious,  and  very  beneficial  to  consumptives." 

"  The  town,  yonder,  is  the  capital  of  the  group,  is  it 
not?"  asked  Chester,  pointing  towards  Nassau. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  and  there  the  governor  and 
his  nine  councilors  reside." 

"  Mr.  Morgan,  I  noticed,"  said  Chester,  "  mentioned 
San  Salvador.  I  suppose  that  is  the  spot  where  Colum- 
bus first  set  his  foot  in  the  new  world." 

"  Yes,  San  Salvador,  or,  as  the  natives  call  it,  Gua- 
nahani,  was  the  first  land  discovered  by  Columbus  in 
1492." 

"  I  have  an  idea  that  the  people  he  found  here  were 
very  different  from  the  Indians  of  the  north." 

"  You  are  quite  right ;  the  natives  of  these  islands 
were  an  inoffensive  race,  and  the  way  they  treated 
them  is  an  eternal  disgrace  to  the  Spaniards." 

"  What,  did  they  kill  them  off  at  once  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 


THE   BAHAMAS.  77 

"  They  might  as  well  have  done  so,"  answered  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  they  carried  them  away  to  labor  in  the  mines 
of  San  Domingo  and  the  pearl  fisheries  of  Cumana." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  they  carried  them  all  off  ? " 

"  Yes ;  and  the  islands  remained  unoccupied  till  1629, 
when  the  English  settled  them." 

"  But  England  has  not  been  in  undisputed  possession 
since  that  time,"  said  Chester  quickly. 

"  No,  indeed,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  they  were  dis- 
possessed by  the  Spaniards  in  1641,  and  after  that  the 
islands  repeatedly  changed  masters  until  they  were  an- 
nexed permanently  to  the  British  Empire  by  the  treaty 
of  1783." 

By  this  time  they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lighthouse 
at  the  western  end  of  Hog  Island,  and  as  Captain  Brad- 
ford did  not  care  to  venture  over  the  bar,  they  came  to 
anchor. 

Hog  Island  is  a  beautiful  coral  islet,  three  miles  long ; 
and  as  it  lies  in  front  of  the  harbor,  it  forms  a  natural 
breakwater,  and  so  makes  Nassau  the  best  and  safest 
port  in  all  the  Bahamas. 

With  the  least  possible  delay,  the  Professor  and  the 
brothers,  accompanied  by  Captain  Bradford,  entered  a 
boat,  and  were  pulled  up  the  harbor  toward  the  town. 
Crafts  of  every  description,  manned  by  burly  negroes, 
scantily  dressed,  dotted  the  waters  about  them,  and 
presented  an  animated  and  ever-changing  scene.  On 
landing,  amidst  a  crowd  of  noisy  negroes,  they  found  the 
streets,  at  least  so  far  as  the  whiteness  of  the  soil  was 
concerned,  the  very  counterparts  of  those  of  Hamilton ; 
but  this  they  had  in  some  measure  become  accustomed 
to,  and  so  did  not  mind  it  much.  They  noticed,  too,  the 
high,  white,  garden  walls  which  everywhere  shut  in  the 
grounds,  and  oftentimes  the  dwellings,  of  ihe  rich  and 
well-to-do  citizens,  and  marveled  at  the  display  of  such 
poor  taste  and  ostentatious  exclusiveness. 


78 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


They  took  up 
their  quarters  at 
the  Royal  Victoria 
Hotel,  which  occu- 
pies an  elevated 
position, command- 
ing a  magnificent 
view  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  city, 
the  harbor,  and  the 
ocean  beyond.  Af- 
ter a  most  excel- 
lent breakfast,  the 
Professor  and  his 
young  companions 
started  out  on  a 
grand  excursion 
through  the  island, 
while  Captain 
Bradford  returned 
to  the  business  part 
of  the  city  to  attend 
to  certain  impor- 
tant matters  there. 

Our  little  party 
found  the  roads 
everywhere  excel- 
lent, and  the  scene- 
ry charming.  Here 
was  a  grove  of 
graceful  palms, 
gently  swaying 
their  undulating 
plumage  in  the 
morning  breeze ; 


NEAR    HAMILTON. 


THE   BAHAMAS.  79 

there  was  a  long  stretch  of  forest  trees,  including  the 
satin-wood,  lignum-vitas,  yellow-wood,  and  even  the  cedar. 
Then  they  saw  the  bananna,  mango,  sapodilla,  tamarind, 
coffee-plant,  orange,  guava,  custard-apple,  mammee,  sugar- 
cane, and  almost  every  vegetable  production  of  the  tropics. 

At  length,  after  a  long  and  pleasant  drive,  they  turned 
back,  and  reaching  Nassau  at  a  somewhat  early  hour  in 
the  afternoon,  they  decided  to  ramble  about  the  city  until 
six  o'clock,  when  they  had  agreed  to  meet  the  Captain  at 
the  wharf. 

They  found  Duke  street,  and  visited  the  Government 
House,  taking  particular  notice  of  the  colossal  statue 
of  Christopher  Columbus,  which  adorns  its  approach. 
Behind  this  building  they  saw  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able trees  in  the  Bahamas.  It  was  a  singular  specimen 
of  the  silk-cotton  tree.  Its  roots  extend  nearly  an  eighth 
of  a  mile,  and  then  shoot  up  into  another  grand  specimen 
in  the  grounds  of  the  very  hotel  where  they  had  stopped, 
and  in  whose  branches  they  had  for  a  time  rested  them- 
selves, on  a  platform  that  had  been  constructed  there. 

The  silk-cotton  attains  a  large  size,  not  only  reaching 
a  considerable  height,  but  spreading  laterally  over  a  wide 
surface.  It  is  immensely  large  at  the  base,  and  presents 
a  strange,  not  to  say  fantastic,  appearance.  The  bolls 
are  full  of  a  soft,  brown  cotton,  resembling  floss  silk,  but 
not  adhesive  enough  for  use. 

At  every  turn  they  met  tall  and  well-formed  negroes 
and  mulattoes,  of  every  shade,  from  a  coal-black  to  a  light 
cream,  and,  we  are  happy  to  add,  found  them  very  civil 
in  their  demeanor.  Many  of  the  mulattoes,  they  learned, 
give  much  attention  to  shell-work,  in  which  they  display 
considerable  talent  and  skill. 

"  What  do  all  these  fellows  find  to  do  ?  and  when  do 
they  do  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene,  when  they  had  passed  group 
after  group  of  "tired  darkies,"  sunning  themselves  on 


80  THE    BAHAMAS. 

the  corners  or  against  the  garden  walls.  "  They  are  not 
all  workers  in  shells,  I  suppose." 

"  Hardly  likely,"  smiled  the  Professor.  "  Some  of  them 
engage  in  wrecking,  when  the  occasion  presents  itself, 
and  one  lucky  hit  may  enable  them  to  lie  idle  for  a  year 
afterwards.  Others  are  employed  in  the  sponge  fishery, 
in  which  no  less  than  five  hundred  crafts  are  engaged. 
Others,  again,  are  employed  about  the  docks  and  harbor ; 
but  really,  as  sugar-cane  forms  the  staple  article  of  their 
food,  and  as  they  do  not  trouble  themselves  much  about 
the  future,  there  is  no  great  necessity  for  them  to  work 
very  much,  and  so,  as  you  see,  they  spend  a  great  deal  of 
time  in  —  " 

"  Resting,"  laughed  Eugene,  and  then  added : 

"  I  suppose  the  sponge-yard  here  is  quite  a  sight." 

"  No  doubt,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  as  it  is  not  far 
from  the  point  where  we  agreed  to  meet  the  Captain,  we 
might  visit  it." 

"  Let  us  do  so,"  and  then,  as  they  started  on  :  "  What 
was  that  round,  mosque-like  building  near  the  hotel  ?  I 
have  seen  nothing  like  it  on  the  island." 

"  It  was  once  the  jail,"  answered  the  Professor  ;  "  and 
many  a  bloody-handed  pirate  has  been  confined  there; 
but  now  it  is  the  public  library,  and  contains,  I  am  told, 
about  6,000  well-selected  volumes." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  anything  so  favorable  about  this 
place,"  said  Chester  ;  "  for  surely  it  is  a  good  indication, 
when  they  turn  a  common  jail  into  a  public  library." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  my  young  friend,  and  in  point  of 
fact,  there  has  been  a  vast  improvement  here  of  late. 
Never  before,  I  think,  has  there  been  less  crime  to  punish 
than  now." 

"  This  was  a  great  resort  for  pirates  in  the  early  days," 
remarked  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  the  very  paradise  of  pirates,  as  one  might  say. 


THE   BAHAMAS.  81 

They  ruled  here  with  a  high  hand.  If  they  could  n't  buy 
up  the  governors,  they  captured  them,  and  so  knew  no 
law  but  of  their  own  making." 

"  Many  -American  tories  settled  here  during  and  directly 
after  the  Revolution,  I  believe,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes ;  and  their  descendants  are  here  to  this  day." 

"  And  they,  in  connection  with  the  English,  sent  out 
privateers  against  our  commerce,"  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  the  port  was  a  great  resort  for  British  pri- 
vateers." 

"As  it  was  during  our  late  war,  I  suppose,"  said 
Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  but  to  no  such  extent."  Then,  after  a  moment's 
consideration,  and  a  glance  about  him :  "  Why,  young 
gentlemen,  during  the  days  of  the  Rebellion  these  streets 
and  shops  were  packed  with  cotton  from,  and  English 
goods  bound  to,  Southern  ports ;  and  on  the  verandas  of 
the  very  hotel  where  we  stopped,  the  captains  and  crews 
of  blockade-runners,  and  others  engaged  in  the  business, 
played  toss-penny  with  gold  eagles ! " 

"  Confound  the  British  Government ! "  growled  Eugene. 

"  Ah !  but  for  that,  and  some  other  irregularities  per- 
mitted at  the  same  time,  she  has  since  paid  most  roundly 
—  millions,  in  fact." 

"  And  served  her  right,  too,"  muttered  Eugene. 

"  Not  a  doubt  of  it,  my  young  friend ;  I  f ully  agree 
with  you." 

"  But  the  home  government  ought  not  alone  to  have 
suffered ;  this  place  —  this  conscienceless  nest  of  mam- 
mon —  ought  to  have  received  a  special  and  terrible 
punishment.  I  wish  — 

"Ah,  my  young  friend,"  interrupted  the   Professor, 
gravely,  "  an  all-wise  and  just  God,  who  permitted  so 
much  sorrow  to  come  upon  the  mistaken  South,  did  not 
pass  over  thi»  culpable  island,  believe  me." 
4* 


82  THE    BAHAMAS. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Professor  ?  " 

"  Why,"  exclaimed  the  Professor,  with  a  comprehensive 
gesture,  "  see  how  calm  it  is ;  how  mild  and  balmy  the 
air ;  how  serene  the  sky  !  So  it  was  here  all  through  the 
years  of  our  great  Civil  War,  —  not  a  vessel  lost  —  not  a 
dollar's  worth  of  property  destroyed  '  by  the  act  of  God.' 
But  ah !  the  day  of  wrath  was  coming !  The  year  after 
Lee  surrendered,  the  most  terrific  hurricane  known  in 
these  waters  for  a  whole  century,  swept  over  this  fair 
isle.  The  angry  sea  threw  itself  over  Hog  Island  out 
yonder,  in  surges  so  enormous  that  the  waves  washed  the 
gallery  of  the  lighthouse,  sixty  feet  above  the  ground. 
Houses  and  forests  were  swept  away  before  the  wind  like 
chaff;  nothing,  apparently,  could  withstand  its  tremen- 
dous force.  In  a  few  hours  the  city  was  like  one  shat- 
tered and  swallowed  up  by  an  earthquake ;  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  wealth  realized  through  our  mis- 
fortunes had  utterly  vanished.  The  island  has  never 
recovered  from  the  blow,  and  will  not  for  years  to  come. 
Do  you  believe  in  a  special  providence  ?  /  do.  Mark 
what  happened !  While  almost  all  those  who  aided  and 
abetted  the  South  were  stripped  of  their  ill-gotten  wealth, 
no  Union  man  had  his  home  destroyed,  or  suffered  any 
serious  loss.  The  residence  of  one,  an  Englishman,  who 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  Confederate  business, 
stood  uninjured  —  there  it  stands  to  this  day!  —  while 
better  and  more  substantial  buildings  on  either  side  were 
scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven ! " 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Eugene,  with  a  sigh,  "that  must 
indeed  have  been  the  very  wrath  of  God ! " 

During  this  conversation  they  had  been  passing  from 
one  street  to  another  at  a  pretty  rapid  pace,  and  now  they 
found  themselves  at  the  entrance  to  the  sponge-yard. 

The  enormous  quantity  of  sponges  gathered  here  aston- 
ished them ;  even  the  Professor  was  surprised.  A  large 


THE  BAHAMAS.  83 

number  of  blacks  were  at  work  in  the  yard,  the  greater 
part  of  whom  were  women;  and  Eugene  was  about  to 
accost  the  only  white  person  present,  —  evidently  the 
overseer,  who  was  superintending  the  shipment  of  some 
bales,  —  when  he  felt  a  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
turning  quickly,  saw  Captain  Bradford's  smiling  face. 

"  Come,"  said  the  Captain,  "  my  business  is  finished, 
the  boat  is  waiting,  and  I  would  like  to  save  an  hour  or 
so,  if  possible." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  Professor,  coming  up;  "but  how 
did  you  know  where  to  find  us  ?  " 

"  Oh !  I  had  an  idea  you  would  come  here, —  a  sort  of 
presentiment,  I  suppose,"  and  with  a  laugh,  he  led  them 
away. 

After  they  were  comfortably  seated  in  the  boat,  and 
were  swiftly  gliding  down  the  harbor,  the  Professor  said : 

"  We  have  enjoyed  ourselves  very  much  here,  and  I 
should  have  liked  exceedingly  to  visit  some  of  the  other 
islands  of  the  group,  —  Eleuthera,  Spanish  Wells,  and 
Harbor  Island.  I  should  have  liked,  also,  to  see  Hope- 
town,  on  Abaco,  which,  you  know,  is  the  home  of  the 
descendants  of  the  buccaneers." 

"Is  that  so?"  exclaimed  Eugene.  "Let's  go  there, 
Captain." 

"  Impossible,"  responded  the  Captain,  shaking  his  head. 
"  If  we  stop  again  in  these  waters,  it  will  only  be  at 
Barbadoes,  though,  for  some  reasons,  1  should  like  very 
well  to  call  at  Fort  Royal,  in  Martinique." 

"  There  are  lots  of  other  places  I  should  like  to  see," 
mused  Eugene.. 

"  No  doubt,"  smiled  Captain  Bradford, "  there  is  enough 
to  interest  one  here  in  the  West  Indies  for  a  lifetime. 
Think  of  the  glories  of  Cuba,  the  wonders  of  Jamaica, 
all  that  may  be  seen  and  learned  in  Hayti  and  Santo 
Domingo.  Then  there  is  Puerto  Hico,  and  St.  Croix." 


84  THE   BAHAMAS. 

"  Yes,"  added .  Chester,  "  and  all  the  Caribbee  Islands, 
including  Tobago  and  Trinidad." 

"Those  are  the  Windward -Islands,"  said  the  Professor; 
"  and  you  must  not  forget  the  Leeward  group,  some  of 
which,  I  am  told,  are  well  worth  a  visit." 

"  But  unfortunately  the  visit  cannot  be  made  at  this 
time,  Professor,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Of  course  not,"  assented  the  other,  hastily ;  "  we  have 
other  business  on  hand  just  now." 

"  Yes ;  and  I  hope  not  to  be  obliged  to  stop  again,  more 
than  once  or  twice  at  least,  before  we  enter  the  Pacific." 

By  this  time  they  were  alongside  the  yacht;  and  a 
moment  later  were  on  board. 

The  Professor  and  Eugene  remained  on  deck,  to  watch 
the  receding  island,  as  they  steamed  away ;  but  Chester 
at  once  plunged  into  the  cabin.  Presently  he  joined 
then  on  the  quarter-deck,  with  a  book  under  his  arm. 

"  Professor,"  he  said,  as  he  carefully  opened  the  volume 
at  a  place  he  had  marked,  "  didn't  you  tell  us  that  Guana- 
hani  was  the  first  land  seen  by  Columbus,  and  intimate 
that  it  was  the  true  San  Salvador  ? " 

".  Yes,  I  certainly  did,"  was  the  reply. 

"And  are  you  sure  you  were  right  in  making  that 
statement  ?  " 

"  Why,  really,  I  —  but  you  have  something  there  you 
want  to  read ;  let  us  hear  it  before  I  answer." 

"Very  well,  this  is  what  Mr.  Benjamin  says,  and  I 
should  judge  he  had  given  the  subject  some  attention : 

" '  South  by  east  of  Eleuthera  is  Cat  Island,  or  Guana- 
hani,  celebrated  as  the  land  first  seen  by  Columbus,  and 
called  by  him  San  Salvador.' " 

"  Why,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  that 's  exactly  what  the 
Professor  said." 

"  But  wait,  Mr.  Impetuous,"  laughed  his  brother,  and 
then  continuing,  he  read :  " '  Most  of  our  readers  must 


THE   BAHAMAS.  85 

here  be  prepared,  however,  for  a  surprise,  when  it  is 
stated  that  in  all  probability  it  was  not  Cat  Island  which 
Columbus  named  San  Salvador,  but  Watling's  Island  —  a 
smaller  isle  a  little  more  to  the  southward  and  eastward. 
The  facts  in  the  case  are  these :  contrary,  probably,  to 
the  general  opinion,  it  has  never  been  definitely  known 
which  was  the  island  entitled  to  the  honor ;  but  about 
fifty  years  ago,  when  historians  were  busy  with  the  voy- 
age of  Columbus,  they  undertook  to  settle  the  question 
by  comparing  his  journal  with  the  imperfect  charts  of 
the  Bahamas  then  existing.  Navarette  fixed  on  Turk's 
Island,  which  later  investigation  has  proved  to  be  erro- 
neous, while  Irving,  supported  by  the  strong  authority  of 
Humboldt,  argued  for  Cat  Island,  and  since  then  this  has 
been  generally  accepted  as  San  Salvador,  and  it  is  so 
designated  on  our  charts  to  this  day.  But  the  English 
reversed  their  opinion  some  time  ago,  and  transferred 
the  name  of  San  Salvador  to  Watling's  Island,  arid  it  will 
be  so  found  on  their  latest  charts.  The  reasons  for  this 
change  seem  conclusive.  Lieutenant  Beecher,  of  the 
English  navy,  proves  conclusively  that  Cat  Island  cannot 
be  San  Salvador,  and  that  Watling's  Island  answers  the 
conditions  required  better  than  any  other  island  lying  in 
the  track  of  Columbus.  His  strongest  reasons  against 
Cat  Island  are  that  Columbus  states  that  he  rowed  around 
the  northern  end  in  one  day.  The  size  of  Cat  Island 
makes  this  physically  impossible  there,  while  it  is  quite 
feasible  at  the  other  island.  He  also  speaks  of  a  large 
lake  in  the  interior.  There  is  no  such  water  on  Cat 
Island,  wrhile  such  a  lake  does  exist  on  Watling's  Island.' " 

"  There,  Professor,"  exclaimed  the  reader,  as  he  closed 
the  book,  "  what  have  you  to  say  to  that  ? " 

"  In  the  first  place,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  beg  your  pardon 
for  not  having  remembered  Lieutenant  Beecher's  report, 
and  the  change  that  has  been  made  on  the  British  charts ; 


86  THE    BAHAMAS. 

but  you  see  I  had  accepted  Irving's  decision  as  final, 
backed  up  as  it  was  by  Humboldt,  and  so  had  not  given 
later  investigations  the  attention  they  deserved.  I  now, 
however,  admit  that  Beecher  and  your  writer  make  out  a 
very  good  case,  and  I  shall  look  into  the  subject  further 
at  the  earliest  opportunity." 

"  Really,  Professor,"  said  Eugene,  gravely — for  he  saw 
their  good  friend  was  a  little  disturbed  —  "  I  'm  inclined 
to  think  Chester  has  the  best  of  it  this  time." 

"  I  am  not  sure  but  he  has,  myself,"  muttered  the  Pro- 
fessor, as  he  started  from  his  seat  and  hurried  toward  the 
companion-way. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

THE  next  day,  when  they  were  once  more  assembled 
on  the  quarter-deck,  Eugene,  after  fixing  himself  as 
comfortably  as  possible,  turned  to  the  palaeontologist  and 
said : 

"  Professor,  Captain  Bradford  remarked  yesterday  that 
he  would  like  very  much  to  call  at  Martinique.  Now, 
while  I  suppose  there  is  no  likelihood  of  his  doing  so,  I 
am  sure  we  should  all  be  glad  to  hear  something  about 
that  interesting  and  romantic  island." 

"  You  are  quite  right  in  calling  it  interesting  and 
romantic,"  replied  the  Professor ;  "  for  in  fact  there  are 
very  few  places  of  its  size  that  are  more  so." 

"  I  think  it  is  the  most  picturesque  island  of  the  Lesser 
Antilles,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  emphatically.  "The 
coast  scenery  is  wild  and  savage  beyond  description, 
while  the  interior  is  like  fairy-land." 

"  It  is  of  volcanic  origin,  is  it  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  Professor;  "and  contains  at  least 
five  or  six  extinct  craters,  and  some  magnificent  moun- 
tains, one  of  which,  Mont  Pele"e,  is  nearly  4,500  feet  in 
height." 

"  There  are  no  active  volcanoes  at  present,  then,"  said 
Eugene. 

"No,  Mr.  Pierpont,"  responded  the  Captain, "  there  are 
no  active  volcanoes ;  but  they  have  earthquakes  at  fre- 
quent intervals,  some  of  which  have  been  disastrous,  I 
can  tell  you." 

(87) 


88  MAETINIQUE  —  BABBADOES. 

"  The  island  is  of  quite  fair  size,  if  I  remember  rightly," 
said  Chester. 

"  It  is  forty-five  miles  long,  and  at  one  point  fifteen 
miles  wide,"  replied  the  Professor.  "  It  contains  three 
hundred  and  eighty-one  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
154,000." 

"  The  soil  must  be  very  productive." 

"  It  is  exceedingly  so ;  and  about  one-third  of  the  sur- 
face is  under  cultivation." 

"I  suppose  the  products  are  very  much  the  same  as 
those  of  the  other  West  Indian  islands." 

"  Yes ;  though  I  believe  they  export  more  cotton,  indigo, 
and  ginger  than  any  of  the  Bahamas." 

"  I  have  heard  bad  reports  of  the  climate,"  said  Eugene. 
1  "  The  climate  is  humid,"  responded  the  Professor,  "  and 
the  average  fall  of  rain  is  eighty-four  inches.  The  year 
is  divided  into  two  seasons,  one  commencing  about  Octo- 
ber 15th,  and  lasting  nine  months,  and  the  other  com- 
prising the  rest  of  the  year.  During  the  latter  season 
the  rains  are  abundant,  and  yellow  fever  and  similar 
diseases  prevail." 

"  With  so  large  a  population  and  such  a  productive 
soil,  they  must  have  a  pretty  active  commerce,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor  ;  "  but  it  is  chiefly  with 
France." 

"  And  a  big  thing  it  is  for  France,  too,"  said  Morgan, 
who  had  just  joined  them.  "  Why,  the  value  of  the 
import  and  export  trade  of  France  with  Martinique  last 
year  was  upwards  of  50,000,000  francs. 

"  I  suppose,  then,"  suggested  Eugene,  "  France  keeps  a 
pretty  tight  hold  of  the  island." 

"  There  is  a  governor,  a  privy  council  of  seven  mem- 
bers, and  a  colonial  council  of  thirty  members,  elected 
for  five  years,"  said  the  Professor;  "and  it  is  fair  to 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES.  89 

suppose  that  the  first  and  second  of  these,  at  least,  are 
the  friends  of  the  home  government." 

"  But,  Professor,"  said  the  Captain,  "  since  1866  the 
colony  has  legislated  for  itself  on  duties  and  public 
works." 

"  That  is  true,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  in  1875 
they  built  a  railway  from  Fort  de  France,  the  capital,  to 
St.  Pierre,  the  largest  town." 

"  Did  not  Columbus  himself  discover  Martinique  ? " 
asked  Chester,  presently. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  in  1502." 

"  St.  Pierre  is  a  very  beautiful  place,  I  am  told,"  said 
Eugene,  musingly. 

"  Few  cities  in  the  world  are  more  beautiful,  or  more 
delightfully  situated,"  exclaimed  Captain  Bradford,  enthu- 
siastically. "  It  is  simply  enchanting ;  there  is  beauty  on 
every  hand." 

"  Ah !  but  the  climate,"  objected  Eugene. 

"  The  climate  of  St.  Pierre,  my  dear  sir,  is  equally 
attractive  for  at  least  eight  months  of  the  year." 

"  Chester,"  said  his  brother,  "  when  we  return  from 
the  Pacific,  we  must  visit  St.  Pierre  during  those  eight 
months." 

"We  will,"  nodded  Chester. 

"  You  could  n't  do  better,  gentlemen,"  said  Morgan, 
decidedly ;  "  and  be  sure  to  make  your  first  approach 
from  the  sea,  for  the  view  of  the  city  from  the  harbor  is 
truly  superb.  It  always  reminds  me  of  Algiers  and 
Genoa ;  for  being  built  on  sloping  land,  the  streets,  which 
follow  the  coast-line,  rise  one  above  the  other,  so  that  the 
upper  ones  look  down  upon  the  water  from  an  elevation 
of  between  two  and  three  hundred  feet." 

"One  very  pleasant  and  agreeable  thing  about  the 
city,"  said  the  Captain,  "  is  the  canals  of  pure  water 
which  flow  through  every  street." 


90  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  Morgan ;  "  and  that  reminds  me  of 
the  fountain  in  the  center  of  the  Place  Bertin." 

"  Ah !  to  be  sure,"  assented  the  Captain  ;  "  that  is  an 
elegant  affair  —  a  great  ornament  and  a  great  blessing  to 
the  city." 

"  It  was  the  gift  of  a  colored  man,  a  former  mayor,  I 
was  told,"  said  the  mate. 

"  Yes,  a  very  worthy  gentleman  he  was.  But  that  was 
a  strange  freak  which  marked  its  inauguration." 

"  I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  of  it." 

"  Before  the  water  was  turned  on,"  said  the  Captain, 
"  vast  quantities  of  claret  were  emptied  into  the  mains 
above  the  fountain,  so  that  when  the  pressure  of  the  water 
came,  the  bronze  nymph's  basket  overflowed  with  wine, 
and  the  great  dolphins  spouted  the  same  ruby  fluid." 

"  Gracious !  I  hope  it  was  n't  all  wasted,"  exclaimed 
Eugene,  quickly. 

"Not  all,"  said  the  Captain,  "for  the  poor  people  had 
received  a  hint  of  what  might  be  expected  to  happen,  and 
were  on  hand  with  their  pitchers,  and  all  manner  of 
vessels ;  and  they  believe  a  miracle  was  performed  at 
the  inauguration,  to  this  day." 

"  But  wine  isn't  the  only  strange  thing  the  fountain 
has  discharged,"  said  the  mate.  "  At  certain  seasons  it 
throws  forth  myriads  of  living  fish,  each  from  half  an 
inch  to  an  inch  in  length,  their  bodies  as  transparent  as 
crystal,  with  the  exception  of  the  head,  which  is  of  a 
dark  color." 

"That  must  be  an  extraordinary  sight,"  exclaimed 
Chester. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  rejoined  the  mate ;  "  and  a  beautiful 
one,  too ;  for  when  the  sunlight  strikes  the  jets  of  water 
at  such  times,  it  seems  as  though  millions  of  precious 
stones  were  flashing  through  the  air,  splashing  down  into 
the  marble  basin,  and  being  swept  off  into  the  swiftly 
flowing  canals." 


MARTINIQUE BARBADOES. 


91 


"  What  are  these  little,  crystal-like  fish  ? " 
"  The  people  call  them  '  titirie.'     I  suppose  they  are  a 
species  of  the  minnow,  such  as  we  call  shiners.     They 


are  very  plentiful  in  the  mountain  streams  from  which 
the  fountain  is  fed ;  and  I  was  told  that  at  the  season 
when  they  begin  to  make  their  way  down  toward  the  sea, 
they  are  scooped  up  in  great  quantities  with  anything 


92  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

that  comes  handy  —  an  old  hat,  a  sheet,  a  handkerchief, 
or  bucket  —  and  sold  in  the  market  by  measure.  They 
are  considered  a  great  delicacy  when  fried  in  oil." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  that  wonderful  fountain,"  said 
Eugene ;  "  and  I  suppose  there  are  still  other  attractions." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  the  mate ;  "  magnificent  boule- 
vards—  the  best  drives  in  the  world,  and,  ah!  the  public 
garden  —  the  beautiful  Jardin  des  Plantes  ! " 

"  Why,"  said  Eugene,  "  it  seems  to  me  this  place  must 
be  about  perfect." 

"  Alas,"  observed  the  Captain,  "  perfection  is  not  of 
this  earth.  There  is  no  rose  without  its  thorn,  and  the 
beautiful  Jardin  des  Plantes,  otherwise  perfect,  contains 
one  of  the  most  dreaded  reptiles  on  earth  —  a  serpent 
called  the  '  iron  lance.' " 

"  The  iron  lance  !  I  never  heard  of  it.  Is  it  common 
on  the  island,  Captain?" 

"  Yes ;  and  about  eight  hundred  persons  are  bitten  by 
it  every  year." 

"  Is  its  bite  always  fatal  ? " 

"  No,  about  seventy  cases  prove  fatal ;  but  many  others 
result  in  nervous  diseases  which  are  almost  as  bad  as 
death." 

"  Hum !  I  don't  seem  to  care  so  much  about  seeing 
Martinique  as  I  did,"  muttered  Eugene. 

"  Ah  ! "  exclaimed  the  mate  ;  "  but  there  is  one  reason 
why  you  should  visit  the  island  that  has  not  yet  been 
mentioned." 

"  What  is  it,  Mr.  Morgan  ?" 

"  The  mangoes." 

"  Mangoes  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  or  rather,  the  mango  —  the  mango  d'or." 

" That's  a  fruit  peculiar  to  the  tropics,  isn't  it ?" 

"  Aye  ;  and  such  a  fruit ! " 

"  Something  out  of  the  common,  then." 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES.  93 

"  I  should  say  so !  It  weighs  from  twelve  to  sixteen 
ounces,  the  pulp  is  deep  yellow  in  color,  and  of  the  con- 
sistency of  ice  cream.  A  delicious  aroma  exhales  from 
it,  and  then  the  taste ! " 

"  Oh,  for  a  mango  d'or ! "  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  You  may  well  say  so,"  observed  the  Captain ;  "  for 
to  partake  of  one  in  full  perfection  is  the  greatest  luxury 
of  tropical  life." 

"  You  ought  to  tell  them  about  the  old  jail,  Captain," 
suggested  Mr.  Morgan. 

"  I  would  like  to  do  so,"  was  the  reply,  "  for  it  has  a 
most  curious  history  ;  but  it  is  impossible  now." 

"  I  should  like  very  much  to  hear  it,"  said  Eugene. 

"  And  so  should  I,"  added  his  brother. 

"  You  ought  to  do  so,"  said  the  mate ;  "  and  learn  how 
Cammie  Mallie,  its  black  owner,  gave  that  and,  indeed, 
all  his  property,  to  the  city,  after  he  was  "dead." 

"  After  he  was  dead  !  "  cried  Eugene.  "  Oh !  you  mean 
by  will,  I  suppose." 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind.  The  city  officials  had  a  notary 
seat  himself  by  the  dead  man's  coffin,  and  in  their 
presence,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  number  of  super- 
stitious witnesses,  put  the  question,  '  Is  it  your  will, 
Cammie  Mallie,  that  the  city  of  St.  Pierre  should  be  the 
legal  heir  to  all  your  property,  both  real  and  personal  ? ' 
The  dead  man  raised  his  right  hand  and  nodded  his  head 
in  token  of  assent.  The  notary  made  a  record  of  the 
important  facts,  signed  and  sealed  the  document  in 
the  presence  of  the  authorities  and  the  witnesses,  and 
the  government  immediately  entered  upon  possession 
of  the  property." 

"  The  city  of  St.  Pierre  had  pretty  shrewd  officials  in 
those  days,"  remarked  Eugene,  dryly. 

"  Just  so,"  assented  the  mate  ;  "  but  as  a  general  thing 
the  people  of  Martinique  are  strictly  honest.  The  house 


94  MABTINIQUE  —  BAEBADOES. 

doors  are  seldom  locked  by  day,  and  visitors  may  enter 
at  will.  The  family  usually  live  on  the  second  floor,  and 
the  servants  in  a  kitchen  in  the  rear  yard.  Visitors, 
therefore,  have  to  make  their  presence  known  by  ringing 
a  bell  which  they  find  on  a  table  in  the  front  room." 

"  That  speaks  well  for  them,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  it," 
said  Chester.  "  There  is  some  high-toned  society  in  the 
island,  I  am  told." 

"  As  good  as  you  will  find  anywhere,"  said  the  Captain, 
warmly.  "  Great  attention  is  paid  to  education  among 
the  whites,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  wealthy  being 
sent  to  France,  while  others  receive  excellent  training 
on  the  island.  In  society  Parisian  etiquette  is  rigidly 
enforced." 

"Is  Fort  de  France  as  attractive  as  St.  Pierre?"  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  it  is  a  very 
attractive  place." 

"  There  is  one  thing  there  well  worth  seeing,"  said  the 
mate ;  "  the  beautiful  statue  of  the  Empress  Josephine." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  it  was  presented 
to  the  island  by  the  late  Emperor,  Napoleon  III.  It  is  of 
very  graceful  proportions.  The  right  hand  holds  a  bou- 
quet of  flowers ;  the  left,  the  portrait  of  the  Emperor. 
The  head  is  turned  to  Trois  Isles,  the  place  of  her  birth, 
which  lies  opposite  the  city,  and  upon  which  her  eyes  are 
fixed  as  if  absorbed  in  thought." 

"  Martinique  will  always  be  chiefly  celebrated  as  the 
birthplace  of  Josephine,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  acquiesced  the  Captain  ;  "  and  there  are  many 
interesting  traditions  of  her  early  life  treasured  by  the 
people  there." 

"  But  she  was  not  the  only  daughter  of  the  isle  who 
left  her  home  to  share  a  throne,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"  I  never  heard  of  another,"  said  Eugene,  with  interest. 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES.  95 

"  Aimde  Dubuc  de  Rivery,"  said  the  Professor,  "  was  a 
very  beautiful  girl,  whose  story  is  even  more  romantic 
than  that  of  Josephine.  At  an  early  age  she  was  sent 
to  France  to  be  educated.  Having  finished  her  course 
of  studies  she  embarked  for  her  native  land.  Off  the 
island  of  Majorca  the  vessel  was  attacked  and  captured 
by  pirates,  who  took  Aimee  Dubuc  de  Rivery  prisoner, 
and  sold  her  as  a  slave  to  the  Dey  of  Algiers.  He, 
unable  to  obtain  her  love,  sent  her  as  a  rare  present  to 
the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  Selim  III.,  who  made  her  his  sul- 
tana, under  the  name  of  Validi.  On  the  death  of  her 
husband,  her  son,  as  Mahmoud  II.,  reigned  over  the 
Turkish  Empire." 

"  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  sorcery,  or  obeah, 
being  practiced  in  Martinique,"  said  Chester.  "  Do  you 
know  anything  about  it,  Professor  ? " 

"  I  know  this,"  was  the  reply.  "  Obeah  always  has 
been,  and  continues  to  be  practiced  there,  in  spite  of 
all  the  efforts  of  the  civil  and  religious  authorities  for 
its  suppression." 

"  The  obeah  man  is  generally  a  pretty  clever  rascal, 
then,  I  conclude  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  and  is  held  in  great  dread  and  venera- 
tion by  those  over  whom  he  is  supposed  to  hold  a  mys- 
terious power  for  good  or  evil." 

"Such  a  superstition  must  be  an  unmitigated  curse 
to  any  people." 

"  It  is  ;  and  it  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  it  cannot 
be  effectually  wiped  out." 

"  But  it  is  not  peculiar  to  Martinique  ? "  said  Eugene. 

"  By  no  means,"  responded  the  Professor ;  "  it  is  com- 
mon to  all  the  West  Indies.  And  not  only  that,  it  holds 
sway  throughout  negrodom  in  Africa,  and,  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent,  wherever  the  black  man  has  been  trans- 
planted." 


96  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  "  I  have  heard  much  of  it  in 
our  Southern  States,  especially  those  bordering  the  gulf." 

"  But  I  never  hear  anything  of  it  in  the  North,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Morgan. 

"  No,"  began  the  Professor.  But  just  here  the  mate, 
and  shortly  afterwards  the  Captain,  being  called  forward, 
the  conversation  took  a  different  turn,  and  presently  the 
Professor  retired  to  his  state-room. 

The  next  day  the  Captain  informed  his  passengers 
that  he  had  definitely  concluded  it  was  wholly  out  of 
the  question  to  stop  at  Martinique ;  and  so  their  thoughts 
at  once  turned  to  Barbadoes. 

"It  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  Caribbean 
group,  is  it  not,  Professor  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  is,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  for  several  reasons  :  In 
the  first  place,  although  situated  but  13°  north  of  the 
equator,  the  climate,  though  warm,  is  not  excessively 
so.  It  is  remarkably  healthy,  having  very  few  swamps 
or  tracts  of  marshy  land,  so  common  to  most  of  the  other 
islands  of  the  group ;  a  result  attributable  also  to  the 
superior  cultivation  of  the  soil,  which  is  extremely  pro- 
ductive, and,  with  very  trifling  exception,  almost  every 
where  under  tillage ;  and  though  the  surface  i«  gener- 
ally flat,  a  short  range  of  hills,  called  after  their  highest 
point,  Mount  Hillaby,  1,147  feet  above  the  sea,  is  foSnd 
sufficient  to  keep  the  temperature  of  the  climate  at  a 
healthy  standard." 

"How  large  is  the  island,  Professor?" 

"  It  is  twenty-two  miles  long  and  between  fourteen 
and  fifteen  broad,  and  contains  an  area  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty-six  square  miles." 

"  It  is  oval  in  form,  then  ? " 

"  Very  nearly." 

"What  is  the  population?" 

"  Not  far  from  153,000 ;  or,  about  922  to  the  square 
mile." 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES.  97 

"  Nine  hundred  and  twenty-two  to  the  square  mile ! " 
exclaimed  Chester,  in  astonishment.  "  That  is  fearfully 
dense." 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor, "  the  population  of  Bar- 
badoes  is  denser  than  that  of  any  other  country  in  the 
world,  except  Malta." 

"  That  is  astonishing,"  said  Chester. 

"Astonishing,  but  true,"  rejoined  the  Professor. 

"  I  suppose  the  blacks  are  greatly  in  the  majority  ? " 

"  As  a  matter  of  course.  The  figures  at  the  last  cen- 
sus were  16,594  whites,  36,118  of  mixed  race,  and  very 
nearly  100,300  blacks.  The  fact  is,  there  appears  to 
have  been  no  increase  in  the  white  population  for  almost 
a  hundred  years,  while  the  colored  or  mixed  portion  has 
multiplied  fifteen  fold." 

"No  increase  in  the  white  population  for  almost  a 
hundred  years ! "  repeated  Eugene,  incredulously. 

"  None  of  any  account,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  for  I 
find  that  in  1788  the  white  population  was  16,127." 

"  Well,"  said  Chester,  "  if  the  whites  have  n't  multi- 
plied, the  colored  people  have  increased  fast  enough  to 
make  up." 

"  They  have,  indeed,"  assented  their  friend. 

"  Do  all  the  inhabitants  find  it  easy  to  get  a  living  on 
the  island  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  with  a  good  soil  it  is  easy 
to  support  a  vast  number  of  people." 

"  What  are  the  chief  products  ? " 

"  Sugar,  rum,  aloes,  ginger,  cotton,  and  some  amount 
of  arrowroot." 

"  You  said,  Professor,"  interposed  Chester,  "  that  the 
surface  is  generally  flat ;  still,  is  it  not  true  that  in  cer- 
tain parts  it  is  more  or  less  broken  ?" 

"  The  island,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  is  divided  by 
a  deep  valley  into  two  parts.  Near  the  center  of  the 
5 


98  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

northern  and  larger  part  is  Mount  Hillaby,  already 
mentioned.  From  the  west  coast  the  ground  rises  in 
successive  terraces,  broken  by  ravines,  to  the  central 
ridge,  from  which  hills  of  a  conical  form  radiate  in  a 
northeast  direction  to  the  seashore.  The  northwestern 
and  southern  parts  of  the  island  consist  of  rocks  of 
coralline  limestone  with  beds  of  calcareous  marl ;  the 
eastern  part  is  composed  of  strata  of  silicious  sandstone, 
intermixed  with  ferruginous  matter,  clay,  marl,  minute 
fragments  of  pumice,  strata  of  volcanic  ashes,  seams  of 
bitumen,  and  springs  of  petroleum." 

"  Petroleum !  I  had  no  idea  there  was  petroleum  to 
be  found  in  the  island,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  there  are  several 
chalybeate  springs,  containing  chiefly  iron,  carbonic  acid, 
and  fixed  alkali,  in  different  proportions." 

"  Are  there  any  good  harbors  ?  "  asked  Chester.  "  I 
think  I  have  heard  there  is  at  least  one." 

"  Carlisle  Bay,"  said  the  Captain,  "  is  the  port  and 
harbor  of  Barbadoes.  It  is  a  spacious,  open  roadstead, 
capable  of  containing  from  five  hundred  to  six  hundred 
vessels ;  but  unfortunately  it  is  exposed  to  southern  and 
southwestern  winds.  Then  there  is  another  bad  feature : 
the  island  is  encircled  by  coral  reefs,  which  in  some  parts 
extend  seaward  for  three  miles,  and  are  extremely  dan- 
gerous to  navigation." 

"  Another  serious  drawback,"  added  the  Professor,  "  is 
that  the  island  is  greatly  exposed  to  hurricanes.  One  of 
these,  in  October,  1780,  destroyed  almost  every  building, 
and  about  4,000  lives.  During  another,  in  August,  1831, 
the  loss  of  life  was  between  2,500  and  5,000,  and  the 
destruction  of  property  more  than  $ 8,000,000." 

"  Are  there  any  fine  cities,  like  St.  Pierre  and  Fort  do 
France? '\asked  Eugene. 

"  There  are  four  very  pleasant  towns ;  but  no  one  of 
them,  I  think,  as  attractive  as  either  of  those  you  name." 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES.  99 

"  The  capital  is  Bridgetown,  I  believe  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  and  being  the  seat  of  government  for  the  Wind 
ward  Islands,  is  a  place  of  considerable  importance." 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  " 

"  Between  25,000  and  30,000." 

"It  is  not  the  oldest  town,  I  think,  Professor?"  -re- 
marked Chester. 

"  No,"  was  the  reply ;  "  during  the  corrupt  period  of 
the  first  James,  many  of  the  British  colonies  in  the  New 
World  were  presented  as  gifts  to  the  courtiers  and  favor- 
ites of  the  monarch,  Barbadoes  being  given  to  the  Earl  of 
Carlisle,  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  first  settlement, 
which  he  called  Jamestown,  and  which  is  now  the  second 
town  of  the  colony." 

"  Did  the  island  remain  long  in  the  possession  of  the 
Earls  of  Carlisle?" 

"It  did  not;  and  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  it  was 
re-invested  in  the  crown." 

"I  suppose  the  government  is  similar  to  that  of  the 
other  British  colonies." 

"  Yes ;  and  the  governor  also  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  governor-general  of  the  islands  of  Grenada, 
St.  Vincent,  Tobago,  Trinidad,  and  St.  Lucia." 

"When  and  by  whom  was  the  island  discovered?" 
asked  Eugene. 

"  I  cannot  answer  that  question  exactly,"  replied  the 
Professor ;  "  but  probably  it  was  discovered  some  time  in 
the  sixteenth  century  by  the  Portuguese." 

"  They  made  no  attempt  to  settle  it,"  said  Chester. 

"  No ;  for  when  it  was  visited  by  the  English  in  1605, 
it  was  Uninhabited  and  covered  with  dense  forests." 

"I  suppose  the  English,  as  usual,  lost  no  time  in  taking 
possession  and  starting  a  colony  ?  " 

"  I  presume  they  lost  no  time  in  claiming  ownership ; 
but  it  was  not  until  1625  that  they  founded  their  first 
colony,  which  consisted  of  forty  whites  and  seven  negroes." 


100  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

"  And  they  have  held  possession  ever  since  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply;  "though  the  Dutch  made  a 
fruitless  attempt  to  seize  the  island  in  1665,  and  the 
blacks  have  formed  three  plots,  one  as  late  as  1825,  to 
take  possession." 

The  run  to  Barbadoes  was  neither  as  rapid  nor  as 
pleasant  as  the  passage  from  Bermuda  to  Nassau  had 
been,  owing  to  contrary  winds  and  a  sudden  storm  which 
overtook  them ;  so  that  their  stay  in  Carlisle  Bay  was 
shortened  to  less  than  twenty-four  hours.  However,  the 
trio  of  passengers  made  the  most  of  their  time,  and  saw 
all  it  was  possible  to  see  of  the  island  in  so  brief  a  period. 

Hardly  had  they  again  reached  the  deck  of  the  Alba- 
tross when  her  anchors  were  raised,  and  she  steamed 
out  of  the  roadstead. 

A  long  passage  was  now  before  them.  They  would  not 
stop  again  until  they  reached  the  bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
where  the  Captain  proposed  to  call  for  fuel  and  pro- 
visions, and  in  the  hope  of  hearing  news  from  home. 
Naturally,  this  last  consideration  turned  their  thoughts 
toward  those  they  had  left  behind  them,  and  the  solitary 
one  they  were  going  to  seek.  For  several  days  they 
speculated  on  what  might  prove  to  be  their  best  plan 
after  they  had  once  entered  the  broad  Pacific,  and  Eugene, 
especially,  pored  over  the  many  excellent  charts  of  that 
ocean  with  which  the  yacht  was  furnished,  spending, 
indeed,  more  than  half  his  time  in  the  fascinating  occu- 
pation. As  the  days  passed,  Professor  Singleton  gave 
more  and  more  attention  to  his  favorite  study :  the 
science  of  the  ancient  life  of  the  earth,  and  to  his  grow- 
ing collection  of  fossils,  which  were  the  remains  of  such 
life.  Chester  selected  the  best  works  he  could  find  in 
the  yacht's  library  treating  on  the  island  world,  and  the 
countries  they  were  likely  to  visit  during  the  cruise, 


MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 


101 


FOREST-SCENE,    CARIBBEE    ISLES. 


102  MARTINIQUE  —  BARBADOES. 

and  buried  himself  in  their  pages.  The  Captain  and 
Mr.  Morgan  had  enough  to  do  to  look  after  the  yacht 
and  make  everything  "  ship  shape "  for  their  proposed 
stop  at  Rio. 

Day  after  day  they  sailed  steadily  on,  still  absorbed 
in  their  several  occupations,  until  one  morning  they 
woke  up  to  the  fact  that  they  were  drawing  near  to 
port.  From  the  chilliness  of  an  early  New  England 
spring,  they  had  sailed  to  the  Fairy  Isles  of  the  Atlantic, 
and  from  thence  into  the  summer  of  the  world,  had 
crossed  the  equator,  and  now  beheld  the  stars  that 
looked  down  upon  another  hemisphere.  The  next  day 
they  would  be  at  rest  in  the  magnificent  bay  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

RIO  DE  JANEIRO  — THE  FALKLAND  ISLANDS. 

THEY  were  all  on  deck  bright  and  early  the  next 
morning,  to  see  the  scene  which  is  presented  by 
the  most  picturesque  harbor  in  the  world.  Soon  the 
sublime  spectacle  was  before  them.  A  wild  confusion  of 
huge  granite  mountains  springing  from  the  very  water's 
edge ;  hills  and  islands  crowned  with  fortresses  and 
heavy  guns ;  ravines  where  palm  trees  grew  and  villages 
nestled ;  gray  and  serrated  mountains,  with  bare  uplifted 
heads,  to  the  westward ;  in  front,  a  mass  of  naked  gran- 
ite 1,500  feet  high,  springing  almost  perpendicularly  to 
the  clouds,  and  beyond  it  the  city,  with  domes  and 
towers  and  citadel.  Such  was  the  sight  that  met  their 
admiring  gaze. 

A  fleet  of  merchant  ships  from  every  nation  in  the 
world  rode  at  anchor  on  the  placid  waters  of  the  bay. 
From  several  formidable  iron-clads  and  grim-looking 
men-of-war  flew  the  green  flag  of  Brazil.  The  elegant 
white-and-gold  yacht  of  the  Emperor  was  anchored 
near  by.  A  large  barge,  pulled  by  a  score  of  brawny 
men,  was  just  putting  off  from  a  frigate  for  the  shore. 
The  hum  of  business  came  from  the  city,  and  the  song 
of  the  sailors,  at  their  work  on  the  ships,  sounded  over 
the  bay.  Little  steam-launches  and  sail-boats  shot  hither 
and  thither,  and  every  where  were  bustle  and  animation 
and  beauty. 

Here  was  the  great  mart  of  Brazil.  From  here  to  all 
parts  of  the  world  the  merchant  fleets  were  waiting  to 

(103) 


104  EIO   DE   JANEIRO. 

bear  the  rich  products  of  this  rich  empire.  But  of  all 
the  ships  that  rode  at  anchor  before  the  city  only  one 
or  two  flew  the  American  flag.  There  were  great  steam- 
ships flying  the  flags  of  England,  Germany,  France, 
Italy,  and  Spain,  but  the  Albatross  was  the  only  one  that 
flew  the  stars  and  stripes.  Here  is  food  for  reflection 
for  the  patriotic  American. 

The  harbor  is  not  only  the  most  picturesque,  but  is 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  world,  and  can  scarcely  be 
excelled  for  capaciousness  and  the  security  which  it 
affords  to  vessels  of  every  description.  The  entrance 
into  it  from  the  sea  does  not  extend  a  mile  from  point 
to  point,  but  it  afterwards  widens  to  from  three  to  nine 
miles,  penetrating  inland  at  least  fifteen  miles,  and,  as 
already  intimated,  is  intersected  in  every  direction  with 
heavy  batteries ;  all  the  numerous  little  islands  by  which 
it  is  interspersed,  and  most  of  which  are  highly  culti- 
vated, being  crowned  with  cannon,  the  system  of  forti- 
fications having  been  designed  to  be  impregnable.  Just 
within  and  nearly  midway  of  the  entrance  is  an  isolated 
rock,  also  fortified. 

At  the  earliest  possible  moment  Captain  Bradford  and 
his  three  passengers  entered  a  boat  and  were  pulled  up 
the  harbor.  Plaving  landed,  their  first  care  was  to 
inquire  for  letters  at  the  office  of  the  representative  of 
the  United  States.  They  found  several  awaiting  them, 
one  of  which  interested  them  greatly.  It  was  from  Pro- 
fessor Timothy  Pierpont,  and  informed  them  that  he 
had  just  received  word  from  a  party  in  Callao,  stating 
that  Lyman  Pierpont  was  then  at  that  place,  that  he 
was  talking  of  a  business  trip  to  the  Galapagos  Islands, 
after  which  he  intended  to  settle  either  on  one  of  the 
Tonga  group,  or  on  Nukahiva,  one  of  the  Marquesas 
Islands. 

"  Oh,"   exclaimed   Eugene,  "  if   we   could  only  reach 


RIO   DE   JANEIRO.  107 

Callao  before  he   leaves !     Captain,  you  will  make  all 
haste,  I  know  ?     How  soon  can  you  get  away  from  Rio  ? " 

"  Certainly  I  will  make  all  reasonable  haste,"  an- 
swered the  Captain ;  "  but  sometimes,  you  know,  the  old 
adage, '  more  haste,  less  speed,'  holds  good,  and  that  is 
the  case  with  us  now.  We  should  n't  make  much  by 
getting  to  sea  before  we  were  ready  to  start.  And 
then,"  he  added,  "  now  that  we  are  on  the  track  of 
your  uncle,  I  hardly  think  we  shall  lose  him.  If  we 
don't  find  him  at  Callao,  we  may  on  one  of  the  Gala- 
pagos Islands,  and  if  not  there,  at  least,  among  the 
Tongans  or  the  Mapquesans." 

"  That  is  true,"  exclaimed  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Eugene,  "  you  are  right,  Captain." 

"I  am  glad  you  agree  with  me,"  said  the  Captain. 
"  And  now  take  a  look  about  you.  See  all  that  is  worth 
seeing  in  the  city  and  vicinity ;  and  be  on  board  again 
three  days  hence,  when,  God  willing,  we  shall  start 
for  the  Strait  of  Magellan." 

"  But  shall  we  not  see  you  in  the  meantime,  Cap- 
tain ? "  asked  the  Professor. 

"  I  shall  be  pretty  busy,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  I  will 
try  to  hunt  you  up  occasionally,  so  leave  word  at  the 
hotel  or  with  our  minister,  where  you  are  likely  to  be 
found." 

"All  right,"  responded  the  brothers.  And  so  they 
separated. 

The  city  stands  on  a  tongue  of  land,  close  to  the 
shore,  on  the  west  side  of  the  bay,  and  at  the  foot  of 
several  high  mountains  which  rise  behind  it.  The  trav- 
elers found  the  streets  straight,  well  paved,  and  hav- 
ing excellent  sidewalks.  They  noticed  that  the  houses 
were  generally  built  of  stone  or  brick.  They  saw  nu- 
merous convents  and  churches,  all  well-built,  but  gloomy 
and  loaded  with  ornaments  without  taste.  They  found 
5* 


108  BIO   DE   JANEIRO. 

the  cathedral,  and  admired  its  superior  style  of  archi- 
tecture. They  saw  the  other  public  buildings,  includ- 
ing the  naval  and  military  arsenal,  a  public  hospital,  a 
national  library,  colleges,  and  other  educational  estab- 
lishments, several  scientific  institutions,  a  museum  of 
natural  history,  and  the  theaters. 

The  imperial  library,  which  contains  100,000  volumes, 
they  learned  was  formerly  the  royal  library  of  Portugal, 
and  that  it  was  brought  from  Lisbon  by  the  emigrating 
royal  family.  It  possesses,  among  other  treasures,  the 
only  complete  series  of  Diirer's  woodcuts  of  the  "  Pas- 
sion of  Christ." 

They  spent  much  time  on  the  main  street,  the  Rua  de 
Vereito,  which  runs  parallel  with  the  beach,  and  from 
wThich  the  minor  streets  branch  off  at  right  angles,  and 
are  intersected  by  others  at  regular  distances.  They 
soon  came  upon  the  imperial  palace,  which  fronts  on  the 
beach,  and  is  seen  to  best  advantage  from  the  landing. 
They  saw,  too,  and  greatly  admired  the  well-constructed 
sea-wall  along  the  water  front  of  the  city,  beside  which 
the  largest  vessels  may  lie.  During  their  stay  they 
visited  Ilha  das  Cobras,  off  the  northeastern  extremity 
of  the  city,  and  saw  the  wonderful  dry  dock  excavated 
from  the  solid  rock,  and  capable  of  admitting  a  vessel 
280  feet  long  and  of  twenty-eight  feet  draught;  and  a 
much  larger  one  near  it.  They  also  visited  the  two 
public  gardens,  and  saw  the  far-famed  Avenue  of  Palms. 
In  short,  they  spent  the  three  days  of  their  sojourn  very 
pleasantly  and  profitably,  and  were  only  sorry  when  the 
time  came  for  them  to  return  to  their  old  quarters  on 
board  the  Albatross. 

"  What  a  vast  amount  of  shipping  there  is  here," 
remarked  Eugene,  as  they  were  being  pulled  to  the  yacht ; 
"  it  seems  as  though  there  were  many  more  vessels  than 
when  we  arrived." 


AVENUE    OF    PALMS. 


BIO  DE   JANEIRO.  Ill 

"  It  may  be  so,"  replied  the  Professor ;  "  the  city,  you 
see,  is  the  chief  marke.t  of  Brazil,  and  especially  of  the 
provinces  of  Minas  Geraes,  San  Paulo,  Govazes,  Cayaba, 
and  Corritiva.  The  mining  districts,  being  by  far  the 
most  populous,  require,  of  course,  the  greatest  proportion 
of  consumable  goods,  and,  in  return,  send  their  most 
valuable  articles  of  commerce  here ;  hence  the  busy  rail- 
way trains,  and  innumerable  troops  of  mules  we  saw 
continually  traveling  to  and  from  those  districts." 

"  What  are  the  chief  importations,  Professor  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  They  consist  of  dried  beef,  tallow,  hides,  grain,  salted 
provisions,  flour,  household  furniture,  pitch,  tar,  wax,  oil, 
sulphur,  woods,  and  wine.  And  the  exports  are  cotton, 
sugar,  rum,  ship-timber,  various  fine  cabinet  woods,  hides, 
tallow,  indigo,  and  coarse  cotton  cloths." 

"  You  forget  the  precious  metals,  Professor,"  suggested 
the  Captain,  who  was  with  them. 

"  Ah !  to  be  sure,"  was  the  reply ;  "  among  the  more 
precious  articles  are  gold,  diamonds,  topazes  (of  various 
colors),  amethysts,  tourmalines,  chrysoberyls,  aqua-ma- 
rines, and  wrought  jewelry." 

"  Gracious ! "  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  with  such  attrac- 
tions, no  wonder  Rio  is  a  large  city." 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"Not  far  from  280,000;  perhaps  290,000,"  was  the 
answer. 

They  were  now  alongside  the  yacht,  and  a  little  later 
were  standing  on  the  quarter-deck. 

There  was  some  delay  in  getting  under  way,  but  in 
the  course  of  an  hour  or  so,  they  were  steaming  past  the 
isolated  rock  just  within  and  midway  of  the  entrance, 
and  were  soon  standing  out  to  sea. 

Their  course  was  now  laid  for  the  Strait  of  Magellan ; 
and  the  Captain  informed  his  passengers  that  they  would 
most  likely  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Falkland  Islands. 


112  FALKLAND   ISLANDS. 

"  The  Falkland  Islands ! "  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  another 
of  the  possessions  of  Great  Britain,  I  believe." 

"Yes,"  said  the  Professor,  "  they  belong  to  Great  Brit- 
ain ;  but  I  can  assure  you  she  does  not  realize  a  very 
large  revenue  from  them." 

"  They  are  not  far  from  the  Strait,  Captain  ? "  said 
Chester. 

"  No,"  was  the  reply ;  "  only  about  three  hundred  miles 
due  east." 

"  Let  me  see ;  there  are  only  a  few  of  the  islands  ? " 
said  Eugene. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  responded  the  Professor,  "  there 
are  quite  two  hundred  of  them." 

"  Two  hundred ! " 

"  Yes ;  with  an  area  of  7,600  square  miles,  —  a  little 
more  than  half  the  size  of  Ireland,  —  and  a  population  of 
eight  hundred  and  twelve  souls." 

"  But  most  of  the  islands  must  be  quite  small." 

"  Yes ;  all  but  two  are  very  small.  East  Falkland  is 
ninety  miles  long  and  forty  miles  broad,  and  contains 
3,000  square  miles.  West  Falkland,  separated  from  the 
former  by  a  channel  from  two  and  a  half  to  eighteen 
miles  broad,  called  Falkland  Sound,  is  eighty  miles  long 
and  twenty-five  broad,  and  contains  about  2,300  square 
miles." 

"  What  are  the  names  of  some  of  the  other  islands  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  The  other  principal  islands  are  Great  Swan,  Saunders, 
Pebble,  Keppel,  Eagle,  Weddell,  and  Lively." 

"  Are  there  any  good  features  about  the  group  ? " 
inquired  Eugene. 

There  are  many  good  bays  and  inlets,  and  a  few  rivers, 
—one,  the  San  Carlos,  being  thirty  miles  long.  The 
valleys  of  the  streams  are  exceedingly  rich.  The  climate 
is  like  that  of  England,  but  more  equable." 


FALKLAND   ISLANDS.  113 

"  The  climate  like  that  of  England ! "  exclaimed  Eugene ; 
"  you  astonish  me,  Professor." 

"  Nevertheless,  it  is  true,"  asserted  the  Professor ;  "  the 
temperature  of  summer  ranges  from  45°  to  70°  F.,  and 
that  of  winter  from  30°  to  50°.  The  mean  temperature 
of  the  year  is  47°." 

"  I  thought  the  islands  were  a  miserable  lot,"  said 
Eugene,  "  with  a  barren,  broken  surface,  and  bleak  hills 
and  mountains." 

"  The  whole  aspect  of  the  group  is  dreary  and  uninvit- 
ing," said  the  Captain,  emphatically.  "  There  are  no 
trees,  and  scarcely  anything  else  but  grass." 

"  Then  there  is  grass  ?  "  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  and  it  grows  to  a  great  length,  and,  I  have  been 
informed,  possesses  remarkably  nutritious  properties." 

"  Then,  too,"  added  the  Professor,  "  there  are  several 
kinds  of  bushes ;  the  common  garden  vegetables  of  Eng- 
land thrive ;  barley  and  oats  are  cultivated,  but  wheat,  I 
must  confess,  is  raised  with  difficulty." 

"  Are  there  any  quadrupeds  indigenous  to  the  islands  ?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  One,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  the  warrah  or  wolf 
fox,  which  is  peculiar  to  the  group.  Darwin,  if  you 
remember,  mentions  it." 

"  There  are  other  animals,  are  there  not  ?  I  think  I 
have  read  of  the  wild  horses  of  Falkland." 

"  Yes ;  horses,  sheep,  hogs,  and  rabbits  have  been  left 
here  by  Europeans,  and  in  East  Falkland  there  are^nany 
thousand  wild  cattle,  sprung  from  stock  thus  introduced. 
Then  seals  and  wild  fowl  are  found  ;  and  many  American 
and  other  vessels  hunt  the  black  whale  off  the  west  coast 
of  West  Falkland." 

"  Are  there  any  towns  or  villages  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  There  is  a  British  colony  called  Stanley,  at  the  head 
of  Port  William  inlet,  oji  East  Falkland.  It  has  an 


114  FALKLAND   ISLANDS. 

excellent  harbor,  and  is  the  only  settlement  on  the  whole 
group." 

"  What  does  the  British  Government  want  of  the 
islands,  any  way?"  asked  Eugene.  "Anything  more 
than  the  glory  of  holding  them  ? " 

"  Their  main  object  in  keeping  up  the  establishment 
at  Port  William  Inlet,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  is  to 
afford  ships  a  place  of  call  for  water  and  fresh  pro- 
visions." 

"  Well,  that's  a  good  Christian  reason,  any  how." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  So  do  I,"  exclaimed  the  Captain.  "  And  being  a 
sailor,  I  can  fully  appreciate  the  advantages  of  such  a 
port  of  call  as  Stanley." 

"  Who  discovered  the  group  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  John  Davis,"  responded  the  Professor,  "  in  August, 
1592.  And  they  were  visited  a  century  later  by  Strong, 
who  called  the  sound  Falkland,  and  the  islands  after- 
ward took  the  same  name.  The  French,  the  English, 
and  the  Spaniards  planted  colonies  on  the  islands,  and 
some  blood  was  shed.  Alluding  to  this,  Darwin  says: 
'After  the  possession  of  these  miserable  islands  had 
been  contested  by  France,  Spain,  and  England,  they 
were  left  uninhabited.  The  Government  of  Buenos 
Ayres  then  sold  them  to  a  private  individual,  but  like- 
wise used  them,  as  old  Spain  had  done  before,  for  a 
penal  settlement.  England  claimed  her  right,  and  seized 
them."  The  Englishman  who  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
flag  was  consequently  murdered.  A  British  officer  was 
next  sent,  unsupported  by  any  power;  and  when  we 
arrived,  we  found  him  in  charge  of  a  population,  of 
which  rather-  more  than  half  were  runaway  rebels  and 
murderers.' " 

"  But  the  United  States  had  a  finger  in  the  pie  at 
one  time,  I  believe,"  said  Captain  Bradford. 


FALKLAND   ISLANDS.  115 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  Buenos  Ayres  took 
possession  in  1820,  and  founded  a  colony  in  1823,  which, 
in  consequence  of  a  dispute,  was  destroyed  in  1831,  by 
the  United  States.  It  was  shortly  after  this  that  the 
group  was  given  up  to  the  English." 

While  the  Professor  was  speaking,  Chester  had  beck- 
oned to  the  steward,  who  was  passing,  and  whispered 
to  him.  He  at  once  hurried  to  the  cabin,  and  now 
returning,  handed  the  young  man  a  book. 

"  This  is  Darwin,"  said  Chester,  as  he  opened  the 
volume,  "  and  I  want  to  know  just  what  he  says  about 
these  islands.  Ah,  here  it  is : 

" '  An  undulating  land,  with  a  desolate  and  wretched 
aspect,  is  everywhere  covered  by  a  peaty  soil  and  wiry 
grass,  of  one  monotonous  brown  color.  Here  and  there 
a  peak  or  ridge  of  gray  quartz  rock,  breaks  through 
the  smooth  surface.  Every  one  has  heard  of  the  cli- 
mate of  these  regions ;  it  may  be  compared  to  that 
which  is  experienced  at  the  height  of  between  one  and 
two  thousand  feet,  on  the  mountains  of  North  Wales ; 
having,  however,  less  sunshine  and  less  frost,  but  more 
wind  and  rain.' " 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  professor,  "  but  there  is  a  foot- 
note, is  n't  there  ?  Be  kind  enough  to  read  that." 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  Chester,  and  he  read : 

" '  From  accounts  published  since  our  voyage,  and 
more  especially  from  several  interesting  letters  from 
Capt.  Sullivan,  R.  N.,  employed  on  the  survey,  it  ap- 
pears that  we  took  an  exaggerated  view  of  the  badness 
of  the  climate  of  these  islands.  But  when  I  reflect  on 
the  almost  universal  covering  of  peat,  and  on  the  fact 
of  wheat  seldom  ripening  here,  I  can  hardly  believe 
that  the  climate  in  summer  is  so  fine  and  dry  as  it  has 
lately  been  represented." 

"  I  don't  see  as  that  helps  you  much,  Professor,"  said 
Eugene,  slyly. 


116  FALKLAND   ISLANDS. 

"  But  you  see  what  Capt.  Sullivan  and  others  think," 
urged  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  and  what  Darwin  thinks,  too,"  retorted  the 
young  man. 

"  Well,"  said  the  other,  "  you  must  remember  I 
haven't  claimed  the  islands  were  a  paradise.  I  only 
say  they  are  not  as  black  as  they  have  been  painted. 
And  now,  Chester,  seeing  that  you  have  Darwin,  suppose 
you  read  us  what  he  says  about  killing  one  of  the 
wild  cattle." 

"I  have  it  right  here,"  said  Chester. 

"Then  let  us  have  it,"  laughed  his  brother.  And 
Chester  read : 

"  In  the  evening  we  came  across  a  small  herd.  One 
of  my  companions,  St.  Jago  by  name,  soon  separated  a 
fat  cow ;  he  threw  the  bolas,  and  it  struck  her  legs,  but 
failed  in  becoming  entangled.  Then  dropping  his  hat 
to  mark  the  spot  where  the  balls  were  left,  while  at  full 
gallop,  he  uncoiled  his  lazo,  and  after  a  most  severe 
chase,  again  came  up  to  the  cow,  and  caught  her  round 
the  horns.  The  other  Gaucho  had  gone  on  ahead  with 
the  spare  horses,  so  that  St.  Jago  had  some  difficulty  in 
killing  the  furious  beast.  He  managed  to  get  her  on  a 
level  piece  of  ground,  by  taking  advantage  of  her  as 
often  as  she  rushed  at  him  ;  and  when  she  would  not 
move,  my  horse,  from  having  been  trained,  would  canter 
up,  and  with  his  chest  give  her  a  violent  push.  But 
when  on  level  ground  it  does  not  appear  an  easy  job  for 
one  "man  to  kill  a  beast  mad  with  terror.  Nor  would  it 
be  so,  if  the  horse,  when  left  to  itself  without  its  rider, 
did  not  soon  learn,  for  its  own  safety,  to  keep  the  lazo 
tight ;  so  that,  if  the  cow  or  ox  moves  forward,  the  horse 
moves  just  as  quickly  forward ;  otherwise,  it  stands 
motionless,  leaning  on  one  side.  This  horse,  however, 
was  a  young  one,  and  would  not  stand  still,  but  gave  in 


FALKLAND   ISLANDS.  117 

to  the  cow  as  she  struggled..  It  was  admirable  to  see 
with  what  dexterity  St.  Jago  dodged  behind  the  beast, 
till  at  last  he  contrived  to  give  the  fatal  touch  to  the 
main  tendon  of  the  hind  leg  ;  after  which,  without  much 
difficulty,  he  drove  his  knife  into  the  head  of  the  spinal 
marrow,  and  the  cow  dropped  as  if  struck  by  lightning. 
He  cut  off  pieces  of  flesh  with  the  skin  to  it,  but  without 
any  bones,  sufficient  for  our  expedition.  We  then  rode 
on  to  our  sleeping  place,  and  had  for  supper  "  carne  con 
cuero,"  or  meat  roasted  with  the  skin  on  it.  This  is  as 
superior  to  -common  beef  as  venison  is  to  mutton.  A 
large  circular  piece  taken  from  the  back  is  roasted  on  the 
embers  with  the  hide  downward  and  in  the  form  of  a 
saucer,  so  that  none  of  the  gravy  is  lost.  If  any  worthy 
alderman  had  supped  with  us  that  evening,  "  carne  con 
cuero,"  without  doubt,  would  soon  have  been  celebrated 
in  London.' " 

"  There ! "  exclaimed  the  Professor,  triumphantly, 
"  now  don't  you  think  there  are  some  attractions  in  the 
Falkland  Islands?" 

"  I  give  in,"  cried  Eugene.  "  It  must  be  simply  grand 
there.  What  better  sport  could  one  ask  for  than  hunting 
wild  cattle,  wild  horses,  wild  boars,  wild  rabbits,  and 
other  wild  game  ?  Let's  stop  there,  Captain." 

"  Impossible,  my  friend,"  said  the  Captain  ;  "  though  I 
confess  I  should  like  the  sport  as  much  as  yourself." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so.  But,  Professor,  there 
being  no  trees  on  the  islands,  what  do  the  inhabitants 
use  for  fuel  ?  For  instance,  how  do  the  Gauchos,  after 
they  have  killed  a  wild  bull  or  cow,  cook  the  flesh  ? " 

"  Oftentimes,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  they  strip  the 
flesh  from  the  bones,  and  then  use  the  bones  to  cook 
the  meat  by." 

"  Make  fuel  of  one  part  to  cook  th£  other  part  by ! " 
exclaimed  Eugene. 


118  FALKLAND   ISLANDS. 

"  Exactly  :  but  the  best  fuel,  as  Darwin  says,  is  afforded 
by  a  little  bush  about  the  size  of  common  heath,  which 
has  the  useful  property  of  burning  while  fresh  and  green. 
*  It  was  very  surprising,'  he  says,  '  to  see  the  Gauchos, 
in  the  midst  of  rain  and  everything  soaking  wet,  with 
nothing  more  than  a  tinder-box  and  piece  of  rag,  imme- 
diately make  a  fire.  They  sought  beneath  the  tufts  of 
grass  and  bushes  for  a  few  dry  twigs,  and  these  they 
rubbed  into  fibers ;  then  surrounding  them  with  coarser 
twigs,  something  like  a  bird's  nest,  they  put  the  rag  with 
its  spark  of  fire  in  the  middle  and  covered  it  up.  The 
nest  being  then  held  up  to  the  wind,  by  degrees  it  smoked 
more  and  more,  and  at  last  burst  out  in  flames.  I  do 
not  think  any  other  method  would  have  had  a  chance  of 
succeeding  with  such  damp  materials.' " 

"  It 's  wonderful  -  '  began  Chester,  when  the  Captain 
interrupted  him. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  see  the  steward  is  anxious 
for  the  pleasure  of  our  company  in  the  saloon." 

"  Thank  goodness ! "  cried  Eugene,  "  for  I  am  as  hun- 
gry as  a  big  black  bear,"  and  with  some  haste  he  retired 
to  the  cabin,  closely  followed  by  the  others. 

Meantime  the  beautiful  yacht  steamed  steadily  on  her 
way  toward  the  famous  Strait  of  Magellan. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

STRAIT  OF  MAGELLAN  AND  TERRA  DEL  FUEGO  — JUAN 
FERNANDEZ. 

AS  the  Albatross  proceeded  southward,  they  passed, 
though  without  catching  more  than  a  glimpse  of 
it,  a  long  stretch  of  the  Brazilian  coast,  then  Uruguay 
and  the  wide  mouth  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  then  Buenos 
Ayres,  and  at  length  the  low  shores  of  Patagonia  were 
seen,  but  like  an  almost  invisible  line  on  the  horizon. 
They  now  sailed  well  in  toward  the  coast  for  many  miles, 
but  even  with  the  aid  of  telescopes,  the  Professor  and  his 
companions  could  obtain  only  an  indistinct  idea  of  the 
shores. 

The  yacht  at  last  found  herself  at  the  head  of  the  strait, 
and  without  having  seen  the  Falklands,  they  immediately 
entered  the  channel.  This  passage,  notwithstanding  the 
advantages  it  offers  over  the  stormy  and  dangerous  one 
round  Cape  Horn,  is  seldom  attempted  by  large  sailing 
vessels,  principally  because  of  the  narrowness  of  the 
western  reaches,  and  the  violent  gusts  of  wind  blowing 
through  them,  chiefly  from  the  northwest.  Long  deten- 
tions often  occur,  as  there  is  not  sufficient  room  for 
working  ship;  and  many  of  the  harbors  being  difficult 
of  access,  it  is  often  necessary  to  put  back  for  long  dis- 
tances. A  United  States  man-of-war,  it  is  said,  was 
once  eighty  days  in  accomplishing  the  passage.  Actual 
dangers  are  few.  The  water  is  deep,  the  shores  are  bold, 
and  every  hidden  rock  is,  as  it  were,  buoyed  out  by  the 
abundant  giant  kelp  growing  over  it.  For  small  vessels, 
and  particularly  for  steamers,  the  channel  is  invaluable. 

(119) 


120       STRAIT  OP  MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA   DEL   FTJEGO. 

Its  exact  length  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles. 
The  rivers  abound  in  fish,  the  forest  in  game,  there  are 
safe  and  easy  landings  at  many  places  for  steamers,  and, 
in  short,  a  thousand  resources  that  are  wanting  in  the 
well-known  Strait  of  Le  Maire,  and  off  the  terrible  rock 
of  Cape  Horn. 

During  the  first  hours  of  the  passage,  till  they  reached 
Cape  Gregory,  the  Professor  and  his  companions  observed 
that  the  shores  were  low  and  sandy.  The  entire  passage 
lasted  not  far  from  thirty-six  hours,  and  this  moving 
panorama  of  the  two  shores  well  rewarded  the  pains  they 
took  to  admire  it  under  the  radiant  beams  of  the  southern 
sun.  No  inhabitant  appeared  on  the  shores  of  the  con- 
tinent; and  only  a  few  Fuegians  wandered  along  the 
barren  rocks  of  the  great  island  called  Terra  del  Fuego. 

Observing  a  group  of  these,  just  visible  at  the  water's 
edge,  Eugene,  as  he  pointed  toward  them,  suddenly  asked : 

"  How  do  those  miserable  creatures  manage  to  live, 
Professor  ?  "  . 

"  They  live  chiefly  on  shell-fish,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  and 
so  are  obliged  constantly  to  change  their  place  of  resi- 
dence ;  but  they  return  at  intervals  to  the  same  spots,  as 
is  evident  from  the  piles  of  old  shells,  which  often  amount 
to  many  tons  in  weight.  There  is  a  heap  now ;  it  can  be 
distinguished  even  at  this  distance  by  the  bright  green 
color  of  the  plants  which  are  growing  upon  it." 

"  What  are  the  plants  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  I  can  tell  you  the  names  of  two  of  them,"  exclaimed 
Captain  Bradford :  "  wild  celery  and  scurvy  grass,  both 
very  serviceable,  but  the  natives  have  n't  found  it  out  yet." 

"They  don't  seem  capable  of  learning  much  of  any- 
thing useful,"  said  Eugene ;  "  the  huts  or  wigwams  they 
build  are  miserable  shelters,  are  they  not?". 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  the  Professor ;  they  merely 
consist  of  a  few  broken  branches  stuck  in  the  ground, 


STRAIT   OP   MAGELLAN    AND   TEERA    DEL    FUEGO.        121 


and  very  imperfectly  thatched  on  one  side. with  a  few 
tufts  of  grass  and  rushes.  In  size  and  dimensions  they 
resemble  hay-cocks.  The  whole  cannot  be  the  work  of  an 
hour,  and  they  are  only  used  for  a  few  days." 


"  Let  me  see,"  said   Eugene ;   "  does  n't  Darwin  give 
some  account  of  these  people  ?  " 


122         STRAIT   OF   MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA    DEL   FUEGO. 

"  Yes,"  answered  his  brother ;  "  and  it  is  not  a  very 
bright  picture  he  paints." 

"  Nevertheless,  as  you  have  the  book  handy,  let  us  hear 
it."  And  Chester,  taking-  up  the  volume,  read : 


"'While   going,   one   day,  on   shore,  near  Wollaston 
Island,  we  pulled  alongside  a  canoe  with  six  Fuegians. 


STRAIT   OF   MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA    DEL   FUEGO.       123 

These  were  the  most  abject  and  miserable  creatures  I 
anywhere  beheld.  On  the  east  coast  the  natives,  as  we 
have  seen,  have  guanaco  cloaks,  and  on  the  west,  they 
possess  seal-skins.  Among  these  central  tribes  the  men 
generally  have  an  otter-skin,  or  some  small  scrap  about 
as  large  as  a  pocket-handkerchief,  which  is  barely  suf- 
ficient to  cover  their  backs  as  low  down  as  their  loins. 
It  is  laced  across  the  breast  by  strings,  and,  according 
as  the  wind  blows,  it  is  shifted  from  side  to  side.  But 
these  Fuegians,  in  the  canoe,  were  quite  naked,  and  even 
one  full-grown  woman  was  absolutely  so.  It  was  rain- 
ing heavily,  and  the  fresh  water,  together  with  the  spray, 
trickled  down  her  body.  In  another  harbor  not  far  dis- 
tant, a  woman,  who  was  suckling  a  recently-born  child, 
came  one  day  alongside  the  vessel,  and  remained  there 
out  of  mere  curiosity,  whilst  the  sleet  fell  and  thawed 
on  her  naked  bosom,  and  on  the  skin  of  her  naked  baby ! 
These  poor  wretches  were  stunted  in  their  growth,  their 
hideous  faces  bedaubed  with  white  paint,  their  skins 
filthy  and  greasy,  their  hair  entangled,  their  voices  dis- 
cordant, and  their  gestures  violent.  Viewing  such  men, 
one  can  hardly  make  oneself  believe  that  they  are  fellow- 
creatures,  and  inhabitants  of  the  same  world.  It  is  a 
common  subject  of  conjecture  what  pleasure  in  life  some 
of  the  lower  animals  can  enjoy ;  how  much  more  reason- 
able the  same  question  may  be  asked  with  respect  to 
these  barbarians !  At  night,  five  or  six  human  beings, 
naked  and  scarcely  protected  from  the  wind  and  rain  of 
this  tempestuous  climate,  sleep  on  the  wet  ground  coiled 
up  like  animals.  Whenever  it  is  low  water,  winter  or 
summer,  night  or  day,  they  must  rise  to  pick  shell-fish 
from  the  rocks ;  and  the  women  either  dive  to  collect 
sea-eggs,  or  sit  patiently  in  their  canoes,  and  with  a 
baited  hair-line,  without  any  hook,  jerk  out  little  fish. 
If  a  seal  is  killed,  or  the  floating  carcase  of  a  putrid 


124       STRAIT   OP   MAGELLAN    AND   TERRA   DEL   FUEGO. 


whale  discovered,  it  is  a  feast ;  and  such  miserable  food 
is  assisted  by  a  few  tasteless  berries  and  fungi.' " 

"Poor  wretches,  they  often   suffer  from  famine,"  ob- 
served the  Captain. 


"  Yes,"  rejoined  Chester,  "  the  writer  goes  on  to  say : 
*  I  heard  Mr.  Low,  a  sealing-master  intimately  acquainted 


STRAIT   OP   MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA   DEL  FUEGO.       125 

with  the  natives  of  this  country,  give  a  curious  account 
of  the  state  of  a  party  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  natives 
on  the  west  coast,  who  were  very  thin  and  in  great 
distress.  A  succession  of  gales  prevented  the  women 
from  getting  shell-fish  on  the  rocks,  and  they  could 
not  go  out  in  their  canoes  to  catch  seal.  A  small 
party  of  these  men,  one  morning,  set  out,  and  the 
other  Indians  explained  to  him  that  they  were  going  a 
four-days'  journey  for  food.  On  their  return,  Low  went 
to  meet  them,  and  he  found  them  excessively  tired, 
each  man  carrying  a  great  square  piece  of  putrid  whale's 
hlubber,  with  a  hole  in  the  middle,  through  which  they 
put  their  heads,  like  the  Gauchos  do  through  their  pon- 
chos or  cloaks.  As  soon  as  the  blubber  was  brought 
into  a  wigwam,  an  old  man  cut  off  thin  slices,  and, 
muttering  over  them,  broiled  them  for  a  minute  and 
distributed  them  to  the  famished  party,  who,  during 
this  time,  preserved  a  profound  silence.  Mr.  Low  be- 
lieves that  whenever  a  whale  is  cast  on  shore,  the 
natives  bury  large  pieces  of  it  in  the  sand,  as  a  re- 
source in  a  time  of  famine ;  and  a  native  boy,  whom  he 
had  on  board,  once  found  a  stock  thus  buried.  The 
different  tribes,  when  at  war,  are  cannibals.  From  the 
concurrent,  but  quite  independent  evidence  of  the  boy 
taken  by  Mr.  Low,  and  of  Jemmy  Button,  it  is  certainly 
true,  that  when  pressed  in  winter  by  hunger,  they  kill 
and  devour  their  old  women  before  they  kill  their  dogs. 
The  boy,  being  asked  by  Mr.  Low  why  they  did  this, 
answered :  "  Doggies  catch  otters,  old  women  no."  This 
boy  described  the  manner  in  which  they  are  killed  by 
being  held  over  smoke  and  thus  choked ;  he  imitated 
their  screams  as  a  joke,  and  described  the  parts  of  their 
bodies  which  are  considered  best  to  eat.  Horrid  as 
such  a  death  by  the  hands  of  their  friends  and  rela- 
tives must  be,  the  fears  of  the  old  women,  when  him- 


126       STRAIT   OF   MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA   DEL  PUEGO. 

ger  begins  to  press,  are  more  painful  to  think  of;  we 
were  told  that  they  then  often  ran  away  into  the 
mountains,  hut  that  they  are  pursued  hy  the  men  and 
brought  back  to  the  slaughter-house  art  their  own  fire- 
sides ! ' " 

"  What  horrible  wretches  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  in  a 
tone  of  disgust. 

"  That's  exactly  what  they  are,"  agreed  the  Captain. 

"  Poor  creatures,"  said  Chester,  musingly,  "  I  suppose 
they  know  no  better." 

"  I  doubt  it,"  cried  Eugene,  in  an  excited  tone,  "  I 
believe  every  man  on  earth,  heathen  as  well  as  Chris- 
tian, knows  the  difference  between  right  and  wrong; 
and  I  stand  read  to  defend  my  position." 

"  Wait  a  little,"  said  the  Captain,  quietly,  "  and  mean- 
time, look  about  you." 

The  Albatross  was  just  rounding  the  peninsula  of 
Brunswick,  between  two  magnificent  sights.  Right  here 
the  strait  cuts  between  stupendous  masses  of  granite. 
The  base  of  the  mountains  was  hidden  in  the  heart 
of  immense  forests,  while  their  summits,  whitened  with 
eternal  snow,  were  lost  in  the  clouds.  And  now,  on 
the  left,  lay  Dawson  Island ;  beyond  that,  Clarence,  and 
toward  the  southeast  Mount  Taru  towered  six  thousand 
five  hundred  feet  aloft.  Night  came,  preceded  by  a 
long  twilight,  the  light  melting  away  insensibly  by 
gentle  degrees,  while  the  sky  was  studded  with  brilliant 
stars. 

In  the  midst  of  this  partial  obscurity,  the  yacht  kept 
steadily  on  her  course,  though  they  might  easily  have 
anchored  for  the  night.  Sometimes  they  could  almost 
reach  the  branches  of  the  beeches  that  hung  over  the 
water.  At  others  they  found  themselves  in  the  mouths 
of  broad  rivers,  with  myriads  of  wild  game  on  every 
hand.  Soon  deserted  ruins  appeared,  to  which  the  night 


STRAIT  OP  MAGELLAN   AND   TERRA   DEL  FDEGO.       127 

lent  a  weird  aspect.  These  were  the  remains  of  an 
abandoned  colony,  planted  by  Sarmiento,  in  1581.  He 
called  the  place  San  Felipe,  and  left  there  four  hundred 
emigrants.  But  the  extreme  severity  of  the  cold  weak- 
ened the  colony ;  famine  devoured  those  whom  the 
winter  had  spared,  and  in  1587  Cavendish,  the  explorer, 
found  the  last  of  these  four  hundred  unfortunates  dying 
of  hunger  amid  the  ruins  of  a  city  only  six  years  old. 
Since  then  the  place  has  been  known  as  Port  Famine. 

The  Albatross  steamed  along  these  deserted  shores. 
At  daybreak  she  sailed  in  the  midst  of  the  narrow  passes, 
between  beeches,  ash-trees,  and  birches,  from  the  bosom 
of  which  emerged  ivy-clad  domes,  cupolas  tapestried  with 
the  hardy  holly,  and  lofty  spires,  among  which  the  obe- 
lisk of  Buckland  rose  to  a  great  height.  Far  out  to  sea 
sported  schools  of  seals  and  whales  of  great  size,  judging 
by  their  spouting,  which  could  be  seen  at  a  distance  of 
four  miles.  At  last  they  doubled  Cape  Froward,  bleak 
and  barren.  On  the  other  side  of  the  strait  rose  Mount 
Sarmiento,  to  the  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  rock  broken  by  bands  of  clouds  which 
formed  as  it  were  an  aerial  archipelago  in  the  sky. 

Cape  Froward  is  the  real  end  of  the  American  conti- 
nent, for  Cape  Horn  is  merely  a  lone  rock  in  the  sea. 
Passing  this  point,  the  strait  narrowed  between  Brunswick 
Peninsula  and  Desolation  Island.  Then  to  fertile  shores 
succeeded  a  line  of  wild,  barren  coast,  cut  by  a  thousand 
inlets  of  this  tortuous  labyrinth. 

The  Albatross  pursued  its  way  through  capricious 
windings,  mingling  her  smoke  with  the  mists  on  the 
rocks.  Without  lessening  her  speed,  she  passed  several 
settlements  or  trading-posts  which  have  been  established 
on  this  uninviting  coast.  At  Cape  Tamar  the  channel 
widened.  The. yacht  rounded  the  Narborough  Islands, 
and  approached  the  southern  shores.  At  last,  thirty-six 


128  JUAN   FERNANDEZ. 

hours  after  entering  the  strait,  the  rocks  of  Cape  Pilares 
were  seen  at  the  extreme  point  of  Desolation  Island.  An 
immense,  open,  glittering  sea  now  extended  before  them, 
and  all  on  board  the  steamer  hailed  it  with  enthusiasm, 
for  it  was  the  broad  Pacific  on  which  their  eyes  rested. 

Nine  days  later  they  were  rapidly  approaching  the 
island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  Captain  Bradford  having  con- 
sented to  call  there,  to  satisfy  the  natural  curiosity  of  the 
brothers,  and  at  the  same  time  to  replenish  his  stock  of 
fruit,  particularly  to  obtain  peaches  and  quinces,  which 
grow  on  the  island  in  great  abundance. 

The  far-famed  island  could  now  just  be  discerned  on 
the  horizon ;  and  Eugene,  after  gazing  at  it  for  some 
time  through  a  telescope,  said,  as  he  laid  the  instrument 
down : 

"  That  famous  spot  belongs  to  Chili,  I  suppose.  How 
far  is  it  from  Valparaiso  ?  " 

"  About  four  hundred  and  twenty  miles,"  answered  the 
Captain,  promptly. 

"  How  large  is  it  ?"  was  the  next  question. 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,  exactly,"  said  the  Captain ; 
"  you  see  it  is  very  irregular  in  form." 

"  It  is  not  far  from  twelve  miles  in  length  from  east  to 
west,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  but,  I  think,  not  more  than 
four  miles  across  in  the  widest  part." 

"There  is  more  than  one  island,  is  there  not?"  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Professor ;  "  at  the  southwest  end 
of  Juan  is  Santa  Clara,  merely  a  detached  portion  of  the 
greater  isle ;  and  about  ninety-two  miles  west  lies  a  small 
island  called  Mas-a-Fuera." 

"  Mas-a-Fuera,"  repeated  Eugene,  in  a  low  tone.  "  Hum ! 
I  'm  not  well  up  in  my  Spanish." 

"It  means ' further  off  shore,'"  explained  the  Professor. 
"And  Juan  Fernandez  is  distinguished  as  Mas-a-Terra  — 
nearer  the  mainland."  • 


JUAN   FERNANDEZ.  129 

"  Is  Mas-4-Fuera  of  any  account  ?  "  asked  Eugene.       * 

"  It  is  covered  with  trees  and  well  provided  with  fresh 
water,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  being  destitute  of  anchorage 
or  landing-place,  it  is  seldom  visited,  and  very  little 
known." 

"  It  is  plain  enough  to  see,"  observed  Eugene,  after 
another  look  through  the  glass,  "  that  Juan  Fernandez  is 
not  of  coral  formation." 

"  No,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  like  most  of  the 
isolated  oceanic  islands,  it  is  of  volcanic  origin,  though 
the  original  shape  and  position  of  the  crater  are  difficult 
to  trace.  The  principal  material  in  its  formation,  I 
have  learned,  is  a  stratified  tufa,  interspersed  with  blocks 
of  harder  volcanic  rocks,  such  as  vesicular  lava  and 
greenstone." 

"•  Toward  the  northeast,  I  notice,  there  is  quite  a 
mountain  range,  and  one  particularly  lofty  peak." 

"That  is  El  Yunque  — the  anvil  — 3,000  feet  high. 
And  now,  as  we  draw  nearer,  you  can  see  that  the 
southwest  part  of  the  island  is  less  elevated,  forming  a 
plateau  covered  with  grass,  destitute  of  trees,  and  bor- 
dered with  cliffs.  Some  other  parts  of  the  shore  toward 
us,  you  will  observe,  present  the  same  appearance.  At 
still  other  points,  the  headlands  form  abrupt  cliffs  toward 
the  sea,  and  are  separated  by  narrow  valleys,  clothed  in 
rich  vegetation,  and  watered  by  small  streams  of  excellent 
water." 

"  The  island  is  very  picturesque,  I  should  judge," 
observed  Chester,  after  a  long  look  through  the  glass. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  particularly  when 
approached  from  the  north.  The  mountains,  rising  rap- 
idly from  the  sea,  have,  when  seen  from  that  side,  an 
aspect  of  grandeur  which  they  lose  when  seen  from  this 
direction." 

"  Where  is  our  harbor,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Chester. 


130  JUAN    FERNANDEZ. 

«  "  Round  on  the  northeast  side,"  was  the  answer.  "  It 
is  called  Cumberland  Bay,  and  is  well  sheltered  from  the 
winds." 


MOUNTAIN   STREAM,    JUAN  FERNANDEZ. 

In  due  time  they  came  to  anchor  in  this  bay ;  and 
immediately  after  hastened  on  shore. 

Two  valleys  open  into  the  bay,  and  here  they  found 


JUAN    FERNANDEZ.  131 

the  only  settlement,  consisting  of  a  few  huts,  occupied  by 
a  dozen  or  more  Chilians. 

The  first  settler  was  a  Spaniard,  after  whom  the  island 
was  named,  and  who  it  is  thought  introduced  the  goats 
which  have  since  multiplied  so  enormously.  When  he 
and  his  family  had  departed,  buccaneers  took  possession. 
For  a  long  time  the  Spaniards  fought  the  outlaws,  and  at 
last  the  viceroy  of  Peru  caused  a  large  number  of  dogs  to 
be  landed,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  destroy  the  goats 
and  thus  deprive  the  buccaneers  of  this  resource ;  but  the 
steepness  of  the  summits  and  of  the  cliffs  preserved  many 
of  those  animals.  At  the  present  time  the  dogs  have 
been  nearly  exterminated  by  the  settlers,  and  the  goats 
have  increased  again,  though  mostly  confined  to  the 
southern  slope  of  the  island. 

The  buccaneers  having  at  last  abandoned  the  island, 
it  was  made  a  penal  settlement  by  Chili,  and  the  con- 
victs built  some  small  batteries,  dug  caves  in  the  hill- 
sides, and  constructed  one  or  two  foot  paths  over  the 
mountains. 

The  visitors  found  that  the  settlers,  besides  cultivat- 
ing fruit  and  vegetables,  raised  unlimited  quantities  of 
poultry,  which  fact  they  were  not  slow  in  communicat- 
ing to  the  Captain,  who  promptly  and  kindly  acted  on 
the  information. 

In  their  ramble  they  saw  several  horses  and  asses, 
and  learned  that  vast  numbers  roam  over  the  island  in 
a  half  wild  condition.  They  had  noticed  that  the  set- 
tlers kept  horned  cattle  and  a  few  sheep,  but  it  was 
evident  not  as  many  as  the  resources  of  the  pasture 
offered.  They  saw  no  reptiles,  and  the  Professor  de- 
clared that  none  were  to  be  found  on  the  island. 

At  length,  in  their  walk,  they  came  to  the  cave  in  the 
bay  next  west  of  Cumberland  bay,  and  which  is  said  to 
have  been  the  one  occupied  by  Alexander  Selkirk  while 
he  remained  on  this  island. 


132  JUAN    FERNANDEZ. 

"  What  is  the  true  story  of  Selkirk,  Professor  ? "  asked 
Eugene,  while  they  were  resting  near  the  mouth  of  the 
cave.  "  I  should  like  very  much  to  hear  it." 

"  It  is  simply  this,"  was  the  reply.  "  Alexander  Sel- 
kirk, a  Scotch  sailing-master  on  board  the  ship  Cinque 
Ports  of  Dampier's  squadron,  was  left  on  this  island  at 
his  own  request,  in  the  year  1704,  on  account  of  differ- 
ences with  his  captain.  He  remained  here  in  solitude 
four  years  and  four  months,  and  was  finally  taken  off  in 
February,  1709,  by  Captain  Woodes  Rogers.  After  hav- 
ing exhausted  his  ammunition,  he  subsisted  by  running 
down  and  catching  goats." 

"  And  do  you  really  think  this  is  the  cave  where  he 
dwelt?" 

"  Tradition  says  so ;  and  quite  likely  this  spot  was 
really  his  home." 

"The  summit  of  the  pass  over  the  Yunque  range  is 
called  the  lookout,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and  is  well  worth 
a  visit." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  exclaimed  the  Professor,  "  and,  if  we  hare 
time,  we  must  go  to  the  spot,  for  a  tablet  reciting  the  prin- 
cipal points  of  the  solitary's  history  has  been  placed 
there  by  the  officers  of  the  British  ship  Topaz,  and  I 
am  sure  we  would  all  like  to  see  it." 

"  I  fear  it  is  impossible,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  for  eur 
time  is  about  up  now." 

"  Very  well,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  rising,  "  then  we 
will  return  to  the  settlement  at  once." 

"  Professor,"  asked  Chester,  as  they  walked  along, 
"  do  you  think  Selkirk's  story  really  gave  DeFoe  his 
idea  of  '  Robinson  Crusoe  ? ' ' 

"  Indeed  I  do  not,"  was  the  emphatic  answer ;  "  and 
there  is  no  good  reason  to  suppose  it  did." 

"  Selkirk  was  not  the  only  man,  nor  even  the  first, 
left  alone  on  this  island,"  observed  the  Captain. 


JUAN    FERNANDEZ.  133 

"  Who  was  the  other  ? "  asked  Eugene.  - 

"  A  Mosquito  Indian  was  left  here  by  accident,  previous 
to  his  time,  and  taken  away  again,  after  the  lapse  of 
three  years,  by  Dampier." 

On  arriving  at  Cumberland  Bay,  they  found  that  the 
provisions  and  fruit  ordered  by  the  Captain,  including 
the  poultry,  had  already  been  sent  on  board,  and  so 
hastened  to  follow,  and  an  hour  later  the  yacht  steamed 
out  of  the  beautiful  harbor. 

Two  days  later  they  sighted  the  islands  of  St.  Felix 
and  Ambrosia,  together  called  the  St.  Felix  Islands. 
They  present  a  rocky,  barren  appearance,  and  are  unin- 
habited except  by  sea-birds,  who  flock  there  in  vast 
numbers. 

In  due  time  they  saw  the  Island  of  San  Lorenzo,  off 
the  town  of  Callao ;  and  a  little  later  entered  the  port. 

This  town,  the  port  of  Lima,  is  well  laid  out.  The 
streets  are  of  good  width  and  clean,  the  houses  are 
mostly  of  but  one  story.  The  city  was  destroyed  in 
1746  by  an  earthquake,  and  remains  are  yet  to  be  seen, 
at  certain  points,  as  gloomy  monuments  placed  over  the 
ill-fated  persons  who  were  thus  suddenly  cut  off.  There 
is  a  railway  from  Callao  to  Lima,  which  is  but  seven 
miles  distant. 

Early. in  the  afternoon,  the  Captain,  the  Professor, 
and  the  brothers  went  ashore,  and  at  once  hastened  to 
the  office  of  the  United  States  consul. 

The  consul  was  at  his  post,  and  welcomed  his  fellow- 
countrymen  with  great  cordiality.  After  some  little  time 
spent  in  social  chat,  Chester  suddenly  asked: 

"  Do  you  know  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Pierpont, 
sir  —  Lyman  Pierpont  ?" 

"  I  do  not,"  answered  the  consul,  after  a  moment's 
reflection. 

"A   man   some  fifty-four  or  fifty-five  years  of  age?" 
persisted  Chester. 
6* 


134  JUAN    FERNANDEZ. 

"  Never  heard  of  him,"  said  the  consul,  slowly  shaking 
his  head. 

"  Perhaps  some  one  in  the  office  ? "  suggested  the 
Captain. 

"I'll  ask,"  and  the  consul  arose  and  entered  the  next 
room. 

Presently  he  returned  and  said  : 

"  No  one  of  the  clerks  ever  heard  the  name  before." 

"  Do  you  know  a  person  by  the  name  of  Way  land  ? " 
asked  Chester,  referring  to  a  letter  in  his  hand. 

"  Stephen  Wayland  ? " 

"  That's  the  name." 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  know  him  quite  well.  A  trader ;  has 
been  all  over  the  South  Seas,  and  now  has  settled  here, 
and  is  doing  an  extensive  business  with  San  Francisco." 

"  Where  can  we  find  him  ?  " 

"  Close  by  ;  I  '11  go  with  you,"  and  the  little  party  went 
out  together. 

They  found  Mr.  Wayland  in  comfortable  quarters,  and 
quite  ready  to  give  them  his  attention.  He  was  a  good- 
nakircd  Yankee,  of  some  forty-five  or  forty-six  years  of 
age,  and  his  looks  promised  as  many  more  years  of  life 
and  happiness. 

"  Oho ! "  he  exclaimed,  when  Chester  made  known 
their  errand,  "  you've  come  to  see  me  on  account  of  the 
letter  I  wrote  to  Professor  Pierpont  about  his  brother. 
Well,  I  '11  tell  you  how  that  happened.  You  see  I  've 
been  on  about  every  known  island  in  Polynesia,  and  so, 
of  course,  have  been  among  the  Hawaiian  Islands  any 
number  of  times.  Years  ago  I  used  to  see  Lyinan  Pier- 
pont in  Honolulu;  —  that  was  in  the  old  King's  time. 
After  that  I  met  him  more  than  once  on  Kanai ;  then  I 
lost  track  of  him.  I  knew  Warren  Worthington  well. 
Had  some  business  with  him  in  San  Francisco.  A  while 
ago,  in  my  New  York  papers  —  I  take  all  the  important 


JUAN   FERNANDEZ.  135 

American  newspapers,  I  want  you  to  understand  —  I 
saw  an  account  of  what  he  proposed  to  do  for  that  New 
England  university.  Then  I  saw  the  hitch  in  the  scheme, 
and  how  all  depended  on  Lyman  Pierpont's  being  found. 
I  was  turning  the  matter  over  in  my  mind  one  day,  while 
out  on  the  streets  here,  when  all  at  once  I  saw  the  man 
himself,  or  his  double,  right  before  me.  I  accosted  him, 
of  course,  and  called  him  by  name.  He  only  scowled 
and  said  he  did  n't  know  me.  I  then  said :  '  You  are 
Lyman  Pierpont,  I  am  sure.'  '  You  are  mistaken,  sir,' 
he  replied,  coldly ;  *  my  name  is  George  Thompson,'  and 
with  that  he  hurried  away." 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  Consul,  "  George  Thompson ! 
the  man  who  started  for  the  Galapagos  Islands  the  other 
day." 

"  Exactly,"  replied  Wayland. 

"  Then  he 's  gone  ?  "  cried  the  Captain  and  the  brothers 
in  a  breath. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  trader;  "but  let  me  finish: 
Although  the  man  claimed  that  his  name  was  Thompson, 
I  was  satisfied  it  was  Pierpont  and  nothing  else,  and 
so,  after  finding  out  what  he  was  up  to,  I  wrote  that 
letter  to  his  brother,  and  then  kept  a  close  watch  on 
him.  He  fitted  out  a  little  vessel,  and  a  week  ago  sailed 
for  the  Galapagos.  From  there  he  is  going  directly  to 
Nukahiva,  one  of  the  northern  islands  of  the  Marquesas 
group,  after  which  he  intends  to  settle  on  one  of  the 
Tonga  Islands." 

"  Well,  Captain,"  exclaimed  Chester,  turning  to  the 
master  of  the  Albatross,  "  what  have  you  to  say  to  this  ?" 

"  I  say  the  sooner  we  're  under  way  for  the  Galapagos, 
the  better,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  How  soon  can  you  start  ?  "  asked  Eugene,  eagerly. 

"  Early  to-morrow  morning,"  answered  the  Captain. 

"  You  must  give  us  the  pleasure  of  your  company  until 
then,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Consul,  cordially. 


136  JUAN    FERNANDEZ. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  chimed  in  Wayland ;  "  my  house  is 
large  —  stay  with  me." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  the  Captain,  "  while  thanking  you 
both  heartily  for  your  kind  invitations,  I  must  decline,  as 
every  moment  of  my  time  will  be  occupied.  But  these 
gentlemen  — 

"Will  stay,  of  course,"  said  Mr.  Wayland,  quickly. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Chester ;  "  we  will  take  you  at  your 
word,  and  tarry  with  you  till  morning." 

"Nothing  could  please  us  more,"  exclaimed  the  Consul, 
in  a  voice  of  satisfaction.  And  while  the  Captain  hurried 
away,  the  official  and  the  trader  exerted  themselves  to 
the  utmost  to  entertain  their  guests. 

They  succeeded ;  and  the  next  morning  accompanied 
them  on  board  the  yacht,  where,  after  partaking  of  an 
elegant  repast  which  the  Captain  had  caused  to  be  pre- 
pared, the  new  friends  parted,  with  mutual  feelings  of" 
esteem  for  each  other. 

As  the  shore-boat  left  the  steamer's  side,  her  propeller 
commenced  to  revolve,  and  she  was  at  once  headed 
toward  the  northwest. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  GALAPAGOS  GROUP. 

"1VTATURALLY,  during  the  first  day,  as  the  yacht 
_L\  sped  rapidly  on  its  way  toward  the  equator,  the 
brothers'  talk  was  almost  exclusively  of  the  uncle  whom 
they  were  going  to  seek,  and  the  new  friends  whom  they 
had  just  left  behind  them.  But  the  next  morning,  when 
the  Professor  and  Captain  Bradford  joined  them  in  their 
usual  place  on  the  quarter-deck,  Eugene  presently  turned 
to  the  Captain,  and  asked : 

"  Have  you  ever  visited  the  Galapagos,  Captain  ?  " 

"  Yes,  on  two  occasions,"  was  the  answer. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  said  the  young  man ;  "  for  now 
you  can  tell  us  something  about  them,  as  well  as  the 
Professor." 

"I  am  quite  at  your  service,"  rejoined  the  Captain. 
"  What  do  you  want  to  know  ?  " 

"  Anything  that  is  interesting.  How  much  of  a  group 
is  it?" 

"There  are  six  —  yes,  I  might  say  seven  —  principal 
islands,  eight  or  ten  smaller,  and  a  vast  number  of  islets, 
some  being  mere  rocks." 

"  Quite  an  archipelago,  then." 

"  Yes ;  on  a  small  scale." 

"  The  gi*mp  belongs  to  Ecuador,  I  believe  ? "  said 
Chester,  inquiringly. 

"Yes;  and  lies  about  six  hundred  miles  off  the  coast." 

"  Galapagos,"  mused  Eugene  ;  "  it 's  a  queer  name." 

"The  islands,"  explained  the  Captain,  "were  discovered 

(137) 


138  THE   GALAPAGOS   GEOUP. 

by  the  Spaniards,  who  named  them  from  the  numerous 
land  tortoises,  called  galdpagos  in  the  Spanish  language." 

"  Thanks,  Captain ;  it 's  a  satisfaction  to  know  a  little 
thing  like  that,  sometimes." 

"  Which  of  the  islands  is  the  largest  of  the  group  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Albermarle,"  was  the  reply,  "  which,  if  I  am  not  mis- 
taken, is  quite  sixty  miles  long  and  about  fifteen  broad ; 
it  is  also  the  most  elevated,  reaching  a  height  of  4,700 
feet." 

"  Albermarle,"  repeated  Eugene ;  "  that  is  n't  a  Spanish 
name." 

"  No,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  the  single  islands  have 
received  English  names." 

"  What  are  the  other  large  islands  called  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  The  second  is  Indefatigable,  after  which  come  Nar- 
borough,  James,  Chatham,  Charles,  and  then,  perhaps, 
Hood's." 

"  They  are  volcanic,  of  course  ? "  turning  to  the  Pro- 
fessor. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  ejected  fragments  of  fused  granite,  found  by 
Darwin,  every  part  consists  of  lava,  volcanic  tufa,  basalt, 
and  other  eruptive  rocks." 

"  Are  there  any  active  volcanoes  now  ?  " 

"  Volcanic  activity  seems  to  be  nearly  extinct  at  pres- 
ent. Two  craters  were  seen  in  action  on  Narborough  in 
1814,  and  Morrel,  in  his  '  Voyages,'  describes  a  terrific 
eruption  in  1825.  Darwin,  too,  in  1835,  saw  a  small  jet 
of  smoke  issuing  from  one  of  the  great  crate"rs  of  Alber- 
marle Island.  It  is  certain  that  on  these  two  islands  the 
lava  streams  look  much  fresher  than  on  the  others,  and 
the  vegetation  is  much  more  scanty.  As  a  rule,  the  vol- 
canoes of  the  eastern  islands  appear  to  have  been  extinct 
for  a  much  longer  time  than  those  of  the  western," 


THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP.  139 

"  I  have  heard,"  said  Chester,  "  that  the  climate  is 
remarkably  temperate,  considering  the  position  directly 
under  the  equator." 

"  Yes,"  responded  the  Professor ;  "  and  this  is  due  to 
the  low  temperature  of  the  Peruvian  current,  which, 
coming  from  the  antarctic  regions,  strikes  here  to  the 
westward,  after  having  followed  closely  up  the  coast  of 
South  America.  This  current  meets  here  a  part  of  the 
equatorial  current  starting  from  the  Bay  of  Panama,  and 
attention  has  been  called  to  the  curious  phenomenon 
observed  by  the  Beagle,  of  the  water  being  60°  on  the 
southern  side  of  Albermarle  Island,  and  80°  on  the 
northern." 

"  The  group  is  not  remarkable  for  luxuriant  vegetation, 
is  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  lower  parts  of  the  islands  are  extremely  arid  and 
destitute  of  water,"  answered  the  Professor;  "but  the 
summits,  which  are  generally  covered  by  clouds,  receive 
from  them  sufficient  moisture  to  sustain  an  abundant 
vegetation  and  to  be  susceptible  of  cultivation." 

"  Don't  they  have  what  is  called  the  rainy  season  ? " 

"  Yes,  from  November  to  March ;  but  no  very  great 
quantity  of  rain  falls." 

"  Then  they  must  suffer  from  droughts  occasionally." 

"  Yes,  and  severely.  In  the  year  1872,  more  than  two 
thousand  head  of  cattle  perished  from  that  cause  on 
Charles  Island  alone." 

"How  about  inhabitants?"  asked  Chester.  "Are  there 
many  on  the  islands  ?  " 

"  The  largest  settlement,  called  Floriana,  is  on  Charles 
Island.  At  one  time  it  numbered  from  two  hundred  to 
three  hundred  inhabitants ;  but  of  late  it  has  dwindled 
down  to  about  a  dozen  persons,  who  are  very  destitute, 
owing  to  the  abandonment  of  the  islands  as  a  place  of 
call  for  whalers  and  other  vessels.  The  only  other 
inhabited  island  is  Chatham." 


140  THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP. 

"  Why  do  vessels  no  longer  call  at  the  Galapagos  ?*' 

"  Because  they  can  no  longer  procure  the  supplies  of 
turtles  for  which  the  islands  were  once  so  famous." 

"  I  have  read,"  said  Chester,  "  that  the  islands  possess 
many  specimens  of  plants  and  of  the  animal  kingdom 
peculiar  to  themselves ;  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the 
great  turtles  you  speak  of  are  among  the  latter." 

"  Quite  right,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  not  only  is 
there  a  large  number  of  animal  and  vegetable  forms  not 
found  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  but  some  of  them 
are  confined  to  single  islands  of  the  group,  and  what  is 
still  more  extraordinary,  strongly  marked  varieties,  if  not 
different  species,  of  the  same  genus  replace  one  another 
in  islands  not  far  apart." 

"  Then,  Professor,  considering  the  evidently  recent 
formation  of  the  islands,  the  problem  of  the  origin  of 
organic  life  presents  itself  here  in  a  most  striking 
manner." 

"  It  does,  indeed ;  and  I  consider  myself  most  fortunate 
in  having  an  opportunity  to  visit  the  group." 

"  I  suppose  there  are  plenty  of  what  are  known  as 
domestic  animals,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes/'  answered  the  Captain ;  "  cattle,  pigs,  and  goats 
are  to  be  found  in  large  numbers  on  Charles  and  Chatham 
islands." 

"  Are  there  many  birds  ?  " 

"  Not  less  than  twenty-six  species  are  known  to  inhabit 
the  group,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  the  Captain ;  "  and  I  want  you  to 
take  particular  notice  of  the  extreme  tameness  of  these 
same  birds." 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  Professor ;  "  that  has  always  been  a 
wonder  to  visitors." 

"  There  are  some  very  curious  reptiles,  I  have  heard," 
said  Eugene. 


THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP.  141 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  Captain,  quickly ;  "  and 
first  among  them  are  the  land  tortoises  the  Professor 
has  mentioned,  and  which  formerly  were  so  large  and 
abundant.  Then  there  are  three  or  four  species  of  liz- 
ards, two  quite  large,  —  three  or  four  feet  in  length,  in 
fact,  —  and  confined,  as  I  think  the  Professor  will  tell 
you,  exclusively  to  this  group." 

"  Quite  true,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  one  of  the 
two  is  the  only  marine  saurian  of  our  epoch.  It  inhabits 
the  shores  of  all  the  islands,  swimming  out  to  sea  and 
feeding  on  seaweed." 

"  And  the  other  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Is  terrestrial  and  herbivorous,  inhabiting  burrows  or 
crevices  in  the  lava ;  it  is  confined  to  a  few  of  the  central 
islands." 

"  Sea  turtles  are  very  numerous,  are  they  not  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  of  good  quality." 

"  If  I  remember  rightly,  Commodore  Porter  has  some- 
thing very  interesting  to  say  about  the  great  land  tortoises 
that  have  been  mentioned." 

"  I  think  he  has,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  but  at  this 
moment  I  cannot  recall  his  words." 

"  His  work  is  in  the  library  below,"  suggested  the 
Captain. 

"  All  right,"  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  I  '11  find  it,"  and  he 
hurried  away. 

Presently  he  returned  with  the  book,  and  having  found 
the  passage  he  wanted,  read  as  follows  : 

" '  Those  extraordinary  animals,  the  tortoises  of  the 
Galapagos,  properly  deserve  the  name  of  the  elephant 
tortoise.  Many  of  them  were  of  a  size  to  weigh  upward 
of  three  hundred  weight ;  and  nothing,  perhaps,  can  be 
more  disagreeable  or  clumsy  than  they  are  in  their  exter- 
nal appearance.  Their  motion  resembles  strongly  that 
of  the  elephant;  their  steps  slow,  regular,  and  heavy; 


142  THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP. 

they  carry  their  body  about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  and 
their  legs  and  feet  bear  no  slight  resemblance  to  the 
animal  to  which  I  have  likened  them ;  their  neck  is  from 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  in  length,  and  very  slender ; 
their  head  is  proportioned  to  it,  and  strongly  resembles 
that  of  a  serpent ;  but,  hideous  and  disgusting  as  is  their 
appearance,  no  animal  can  possibly  afford  a  more  whole- 
some, luscious,  and  delicate  food  than  they  do ;  the  finest 
green  turtle  is  no  more  to  be  compared  to  them,  in  point 
of  excellence,  than  the  coarsest  beef  is  to  the  finest  veal ; 
and  after  once  tasting  the  Galapagos  tortoises,  every 
other  animal  food  fell  greatly  in  our  estimation.  These 
animals  are  so  fat  as  to  require  neither  butter  nor  lard 
to  cook  them,  and  this  fat  does  not  possess  that  cloying 
quality,  common  to  that  of  most  other  animals;  and 
when  tried  out,  it  furnishes  an  oil  superior  in  taste  to 
that  of  the  olive.  The  meat  of  this  animal  is  the  easiest 
of  digestion,  and  a  quantity  of  it,  exceeding  that  of  any 
other  food,  can  be  eaten  without  experiencing  the  slight- 
est inconvenience.  But  what  seems  the  most  extraordi- 
nary in  this  animal,  is  the  length  of  time  that  it  can 
exist  without  food ;  for  I  have  been  well  assured  that 
they  have  been  piled  away  among  the  casks  in  the  hold 
of  a  ship,  where  they  have  been  kept  eighteen  months, 
and,  when  killed  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  were 
found  to  have  suffered  no  diminution  in  fatness  or  excel- 
lence. They  carry  with  them  a  constant  supply  of  water, 
in  a  bag  at  the  root  of  the  neck,  which  contains  about 
two  gallons ;  and  on  tasting  that  found  in  those  we  killed 
on  board,  it  proved  perfectly  fresh  and  sweet.  They  are 
very  restless  when  exposed  to  the  light  and  heat  of  the 
sun,  but  will  lie  in  the  dark  from  one  year's  end  to 
the  other  without  moving ;  in  the  day-time  they  appear 
remarkably  quick-sighted  and  timid,  drawing  their  head 
into  their  shell  on  the  slightest  motion  of  any  object; 


THE  GALAPAGOS   GROUP.  143 

but  they  are  entirely  destitute  of  hearing,  as  the  loudest 
noise  —  even  the  firing  of  a  gun  —  does  not  seem  to 
alarm  them  in  the  slightest  degree,  and  at  night,  or  in 
the  dark,  they  appear  perfectly  blind.' " 

"  A  very  good  description,  indeed,"  commented  the 
Captain,  approvingly. 

"  I  think  I  should  like  to  taste  of  the  elephant  tor- 
toise," said  Chester 

"  Taste  of  it!"  exclaimed  Eugene, "  a  great  four-legged 
serpent,  with  a  shell  on  its  back.  Ugh  ! " 

"  You  have  no  ide.a  what  good  eating  they  make,"  said 
the  Captain.  "  Looks  are  nothing,  you  know." 

"  Looks  nothing ! "  cried  Eugene.  "  But  perhaps  not 
in  the  Galdpagos ;  perhaps  they  eat  those  great  lizards, 
there?" 

"  They  do,  indeed,"  rejoined  the  Captain ;  "  and  very 
good  eating  they  are,  too." 

"  What,  you  have  eaten  them  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  and  the  tortoise  as  well." 

"  There,  that  will  do  for  to-day.  I  want  tor  hear  no 
more,"  and  taking  up  the  book,  he  hurried  away. 

After  a  marvelously  quick  passage,  the  Albatross  came 
to  anchor  off  Charles  Island,  and  the  Captain  and  his 
passengers  hastened  on  shore.  A  person  representing 
himself  to  be  the  governor,  was  at  the  landing  to  meet 
them ;  and  to  him  the  Captain,  who  was  a  fair  Spanish 
scholar,  put  the  all-important  question :  "  Had  a  man 
named  Pierpont  or  Thompson  been  there  lately?" 

Pierpont ;  no.  Thompson ;  perhaps.  Was  it  he  who 
owned  a  small  schooner,  the  Rover,  and  had  several 
Kanakas  with  him? 

The  very  same. 

Then  he  had  left  there  only  two  days  before,  and  was 
still  among  the  islands,  perhaps  at  Chatham,  where  there 
were  some  settlers,  or  it  might  be  at  Albermarle,  or  pos- 


144  THE   GALAPAGOS  GROUP. 

sibly  Narborough.  But,  wherever  he  was,  he  would 
return  to  Charles  Island  by  the  next  day,  or  the  next  but 
one  at  the  latest.  How  did  he  know?  The  owner  of 
the  schooner  had  himself  said  so,  and  had  requested 
him,  meantime,  to  procure  all  the  tortoises  he  could  for 
him,  and,  behold !  he  had  already  secured  ten  large  ones. 
Would  the  senors  look  at  them  ?  They  were  close  by. 

"  By  all  means,"  exclaimed  Chester  and  Eugene,  with 
alacrity.  And  they  followed  the  governor  to  the  turtle 
pen,  where  they  saw  the  most  repulsive-looking  reptiles 
the  mind  can  conceive  of,  and  which  even  Commodore 
Porter's  description  had  hardly  prepared  them  for. 

"  Gracious ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  to  think  of  those 
hideous  creatures  as  an  article  of  food ! " 

The  governor  understood  English  a  little. 

"  Ah !  very  nice,"  he  said,  earnestly ;  "  you  try  him 
once,  you  never  more  leave  Galapagos." 

"  That  is  an  inducement,  truly,"  said  Eugene,  sarcas- 
tically, as  he  cast  an  eye  over  the  uninviting  landscape. 

As  they  turned  away  from  the  turtle  pen,  the  Captain, 
addressing  his  companions,  said : 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  what  course  shall  we  take  ?  Ac- 
cording to  our  friend,  the  governor,  Lyinan  Pierpont 
was  here  at  Charles  Island  only  two  days  ago ;  is  now 
somewhere  among  the  group,  and  will  return  to  this  bay 
to-morrow  or  next  day.  Shall  we  wait  quietly  where  we 
are,  or  go  after  him  ? " 

"  I  say,  follow  him  up,"  exclaimed  Eugene  promptly. 

"  If  we  do  so,"  said  his  brother,  "  we  may  never  over- 
take him,  for  he  may  always  be  just  ahead  of  us.  I 
should  think,  therefore,  as  he  is  to  return,  it  would  be 
better  to  wait  for  him  here." 

"  But,  notwithstanding  he  has  agreed  to  do  so,  he  may 
not  return,"  objected  Eugene,  "  and  in  that  case  there 
would  be  just  so  much  more  precious  time  lost." 


THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP.  145 

"  Let  us  wait  here  till  to-morrow,  or  even  the  morn- 
ing of  the  day  after,"  suggested  the  Professor  ;  "  and  if 
in  that  time  he  has  not  appeared,  we  can  search  for  him 
where,  in  the  Captain's  judgment,  he  is  most  likely  to 
be  found." 

"  I  like  that  idea,"  said  Chester. 

"  It  seems  the  wisest  plan,"  added  the  Captain,  ap- 
provingly. 

"  I  agree,"  said  Eugene,  "  and  now  that's  settled, 
what  shall  we  do  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours  or  so  ?  " 

"/can  find  enough  to  occupy  the  time,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, casting  a  wistful  glance  about  him. 

"  Where  is  the  settlement  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Floriana,"  answered  the  governor,  "  is  up  the  moun- 
tain, yonder,  a  thousand  feet  or  more,  and  about 'four 
and  a  half  miles  distant.  Too  hot  here  on  the  coast; 
some  of  us  could  not  stand  it." 

"  Then,  Professor,"  said  Eugene,  "  if  you  want  to 
take  a  turn  by  yourself,  now's  your  chance.  I,  for  one, 
propose  to  visit  the  capital." 

"  Very  well,"  assented  the  Professor,  eagerly ;  "  you 
three  go  with  the  governor.  I  '11  ramble  about  for  a  few 
hours,  and  then  return  to  the  yacht  with  such  specimens 
as  I  find."  And  so  they  parted,  the  palaeontologist  going 
off  toward  a  curious  valley,  while  the  others  followed  the 
governor  up  the  mountain  path. 

At  first  they  passed  through  leafless  thickets,  but 
higher  up,  the  woods  gradually  became  greener,  and  as 
soon  as  they  crossed  the  ridge  of  the  island  they  were 
refreshed  by  a  fine  southerly  breeze,  and  their  sight  was 
gladdened  by  a  green  and  thriving  vegetation.  In  this 
upper  region  they  saw  coarse  grasses  and  ferns  in  abund- 
ance, but  no  tree-ferns,  nor  did  they  see  any  member  of 
the  palm  family,  which  the  Professor  afterwards  said 
was  singular,  as  360  miles  northward,  Cocos  island  takes 


14G  THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP. 

its  name  from  the  number  of  cocoanut  palms  upon  it. 
The  houses  of  the  settlement  they  found  irregularly  scat- 
tered over  a  flat  space  of  ground,  which  was  cultivated 
with  sweet-potatoes  and  bananas.  The  inhabitants  were 
mostly  blacks,  and  although  complaining  of  poverty, 
obtained,  without  much  trouble,  the  means  of  subsistence. 
In  the  woods  they  saw  many  wild  pigs  and  goats ;  but 
the  staple  article  of  animal  food,  the  governor  told  them, 
was  still  supplied  by  the  tortoises.  Their  numbers,  he 
said,  had  of  course  been  greatly  reduced  in  the  island, 
but  the  people  could  still  obtain  a  week's  supply  in  two 
days'  time.  He  groaned  as  he  told  them  of  the  past, 
when  there  was  plenty  for  everyone,  and  said  that  the 
time  had  been  when  one  ship's  company  had  gathered 
and  taken  to  the  beach  two  hundred  tortoises  in  a  single 
day. 

The  governor's  residence  they  found  to  be  somewhat 
better  than  those  about  it,  and  his  excellency  exerted 
himself  to  the  utmost  to  entertain  them.  But  before 
the  day  was  done,  all  were  heartily  tired  of  Charles 
Island,  and  by  unanimous  consent,  they  returned  to  the 
yacht  to  pass  the  night. 

With  the  Professor,  however,  it  was  far  different.  He 
was  delighted  with  the  miserable  island,  and  emphatic- 
ally declared  that  he  would  gladly  spend  a  month  there. 

"I  have  learned  much  this  day,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  of 
quiet  satisfaction,  "  and  there  is  much  more  to  learn." 

"  Have  you  seen  any  of  those  great  lizards  that  meas- 
ure a  yard  or  more  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  amblyrhynchus,  you  mean.  Yes,  I  have  seen 
quite  a  number." 

"  Any  snakes  ?  " 

"Yes,  several.  They  are  of  a  South  American  species, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  are  quite  abundant." 

"We  have  not  noticed  any  insects,"  said  Chester; 
"have  you?" 


THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP.  147 

"  Very  few,"  was  the  answer ;  "  they  are  scarce  and 
small  in  this  group." 

"  What  have  you  found  and  brought  away  with  you, 
Professor  ?  "  asked  the  Captain. 

"  Many  shells,  for  one  thing,"  was  the  answer,  "  and  I 
am  convinced  that  fully  one-half  of  them  are  peculiar 
to  the  group.  I  also  found  a  small  piece  of  coral,  but 
it  must  have  been  brought  here  by  the  sea  with  other 
matter,  or  left  here  by  some  one,  for  coral  reefs  nowhere 
exist  about  these  islands." 

"Did  you  notice  that  the  vegetation  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  island  is  entirely  without  verdure  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"You  are  not  a  close  observer,  my  young  friend," 
smiled  the  Professor.  "  All  the  plants  I  have  seen  were 
covered  with  verdure,  and  some  even  were  in  flower,  but 
the  leaves  and  flowers  were,  so  small  as  to  give  the  plants 
the  appearance  of  being  bare." 

"Ah!  that  explains  it."  Then  turning  to  the  mate, 
who  at  that  moment  joined  them,  "  Well,  what  are  we 
to  have  for  dinner,  Mr.  Morgan  ? " 

"  Turtle  soup  and  turtle  steak,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  None  for  me,  thank  you,"  said  Eugene,  hastily. 

"  But  this  is  sea-turtle,"  explained  the  mate,  "  the 
sailors  took  several  to-day.  They  are  very  plenty  about 
these  islands." 

"  Ah !  that's  another  thing,  altogether,"  said  Eugene, 
in  a  relieved  tone. 

The  next  day  passed  without  any  signs  of  the  Rover, 
as  did  also  the  day  following;  so,  having  purchased  a 
few  necessary  provisions  of  the  governor,  they  sailed 
for  Chatham  Island.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  the 
schooner  here ;  and  the  few  on  the  island  declared  that 
they  had  not  seen  a  vessel  of  any  kind  for  nearly  three 
months. 


148  THE   GALAPAGOS   GROUP. 

During  a  walk  on  shore,  Chester  and  Eugene  saw 
several  large  tortoises,  one  of  which  might  have  weighed 
two  hundred  pounds.  This  one  was  eating  a  piece  of 
cactus,  and  as  they  approached,  it  stared  at  them  and 
slowly  stalked  away  ;  the  others  merely  gave  deep  hisses 
and  drew  in  their  heads.  These  monsters,  with  their 
miserable  surroundings  of  barren  rock,  black  lava,  huge 
cacti,  and  seemingly  leafless  shrubs,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
young  men  had  a  most  unearthly  look,  and  Eugene 
emphatically  declared  that  he  knew  they  were  the  deni- 
zens of  another  and  less  attractive  world,  who,  deceived 
by  the  homelike  appearance  of  the  islands,  had  landed 
there  by  mistake. 

Presently,  coming  up  with  another  of  the  huge  rep- 
tiles, Eugene  had  a  mind  for  a  ride.  The  monster  was 
quietly  pacing  along,  but  the  instant  the  young  man 
passed  in  front  of  it,  with  a  deep  hiss,  its  legs  and  head 
disappeared,  and  it  fell  to  the  ground  with  a  heavy 
sound,  as  if  struck  dead.  He  now  mounted  its  back, 
and  giving  a  few  hard  raps  on  the  hinder  part  of  its 
shell,  it  slowly  rose  with  him  and  walked  away.  But 
the  rider  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  keep  his  seat, 
and  at  last  was  ignominiously  pitched  off,  landing  in  a 
mass  of  cacti  and  broken  lava.  It  was  during  this  walk 
that  they  particularly  noticed  the  exceeding  tameness  of 
the  birds,  the  feathered  creatures  caring  no  more  for  them 
than  for  the  inanimate  rocks  about  them. 

Being  satisfied  that  Lyman  Pierpont  had  not,  and 
would  not  visit  Chatham  Island,  they  lost  no  time  in 
getting  under  way  for  Indefatigable  and  Albemarle. 
On  the  latter  island  they  saw  many  large  specimens  of 
the  amblyrhynchus. 

The  two  species  resemble  each  other  in  general  form  ; 
one,  however,  is  terrestrial  and  the  other  aquatic.  The 
latter  species  is  extremely  common  on  all  the  islands 


THE   GALAPAGOS  GROUP.  149 

throughout  the  group,  and  lives  exclusively  on  the  rocky 
sea-beaches,  being  never  found  even  ten  yards  in-shore. 
It  is  a  hideous-looking  creature,  of  a  dirty-black  color, 
stupid,  and  sluggish  in  its  movements.  The  usual  length 
of  a  full-grown  one  is,  as  has  already  been  stated,  about 
three  feet,  but  there  are  some  even  four  feet  long ;  a 
large  one'  the  brothers  caught,  weighed  twenty-one 
pounds.  On  this  island  they  grow  to  a  greater  size 
than  on  any  of  the  others.  Their  tails  are  flattened 
sideways,  and  all  four  feet  partially  webbed.  They  are 
sometimes  seen  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  shore, 
swimming  about ;  but  they  do  not  live  on  fish,  their 
only  food  being  sea-weed.  Their  limbs  and  strong  claws 
are  admirably  adapted  for  crawling  over  the  rugged  and 
fissured  masses  of  lava,  which  everywhere  form  the 
coast.  The  Professor  and  his  young  companions  more 
than  once  came  upon  a  group  of  a  dozen  or  more  of 
these  hideous  reptiles,  stretched  on  the  black  rocks,  a 
few  feet  above  the  surf,  basking  in  the  sun. 

The  terrestrial  species  has  a  round  tail,  and  toes  with- 
out webs.  This  lizard,  instead  of  being  found  like  the 
other  on  all  the  islands,  is  confined  to  the  central  part 
of  the  group,  namely,  to  Albemarle,  James,  Barrington, 
and  Indefatigable  Islands.  .Some  of  these  lizards  inhabit 
the  high  and  damp  parts  of  the  islands,  but  they  are 
far  more  numerous  about  the  coast;  indeed  their  bur- 
rows are  to  be  seen  at  every  step.  Like  the  sea-kind, 
they  are  loathsome-looking  reptiles,  of  a  yellowish-orange 
beneath  and  a  brownish-red  color  above,  and  have  a  sin- 
gularly stupid  appearance.  In  their  movements  they  are 
lazy  and  half  torpid.  They  slowly  crawl  along  with 
their  tails  and  bellies  dragging  on  the  ground.  They 
often  stop  and  doze  for  a  minute  or  two,  with  closed 
eyes  and  hind  legs  spread  out  on  the  parched  soil  They 
feed  by  day,  and  do  not  wander  far  from  their  burrows ; 

7 


150  THE   GALAPAGOS  GROUP. 

if  frightened,  they  rush  to  them  with  a  most  awkward 
gait.  These  lizards,  when  cooked,  yield  a  white  meat, 
which  is  highly  relished  by  those  whose  stomachs  soar 
above  all  prejudices. 

The  yacht  circumnavigated  Albemarle,  Narborough 
being  within  the  area  included,  but  nowhere  was  there 
any  appearance  of  a  sail.  They  then  visited  the  other 
island  of  the  group;  and  at  length,  without  having  met 
with  any  success,  returned  to  Charles  Island,  after  an 
absence  of  a  little  more  than  four  days. 

The  Governor  was  on  hand  to  receive  them.  The 
schooner,  he  said,  had  not  returned ;  but  the  little 
Chilian  vessel  they  saw  in  the  bay  had  come  in  from 
Albemarle  the  very  day  they  had  left.  They  had  met 
the  Rover  in  the  channel  between  Albemarle  and  Nar- 
borough ;  and  in  answer  to  their  hail,  had  been  informed 
that  she  was  bound  to  Nukahiva  direct.  The  owner  had 
requested  the  master  of  the  Chilian  craft  to  express  to 
the  Governor  his  regrets  for  not  being  able  to  return  for 
the  tortoises  he  had  ordered.  "  And  so,"  said  the  Gov- 
ernor sadly,  in  conclusion,  "  there  they  are,  and  I  am  out 
just  so  much  money  —  that  I  had  counted  on." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  Captain,  soothingly,  "we'll  take 
them  of  you."  Then,  with  a  laugh :  "  I  know  my  friend, 
Mr.  Eugene  here,  will  do  his  share  toward  disposing  of 
them." 

"  I  '11  never  taste  of  one,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  quickly. 

"  We  '11  see,"  was  the  quiet  reply.  "  And  now,  Gov- 
ernor, we  shall  want  some  pigs  and  goats." 

The  provisions,  including  the  tortoises,  were  sent  on 
board,  and  after  once  more  bidding  the  friendly  Governor 
adieu,  they  steamed  out  of  the  little  bay,  and  headed  for 
Nukahiva. 

At  length  dinner  was  ready,  and  notwithstanding  their 
great  disappointment,  all  sat  down  with  a  good  appetite. 


THE  GALAPAGOS  GROUP.  151 

For  the  second  course,  a  tempting  dish  Was  set  before 
them,  of  which  all  partook  largely,  but  none  with  greater 
relish  than  Eugene. 

"  Captain,"  he  said,  at  last,  "  the  cook  improves,  or  this 
is  a  better  sea-turtle  than  any  we  've  had  yet." 

"  It  is  n't  sea-turtle,"  said  the  Captain,  quietly. 

"What  is  it,  then?"  demanded  Eugene.  "It  isn't 
pork,  nor  goat's  meat?" 

"  No ;  something  far  better  than  either." 

"  What,  then  ?  "  And  even  as  he  .asked  the  question, 
the  truth  flashed  upon  him. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  the  Captain,  "  you  've  guessed  it ;  and 
I  think  you  've  heartily  enjoyed  a  dish  of  real  galdpago" 

"  I  give  in,"  said  Eugene,  frankly  ;  "  and  now  I  know 
a  thing  may  be  much  better  than  it  looks.  I  shall  make 
good  your  words,  Captain ;  I  shall  do  my  full  share 
toward  disposing  of  the  stock  you  have  on  hand." 

"  I  knew  it,"  was  the  sententious  reply. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  BROAD  PACIFIC  — THE  MARQUESAS  ISLANDS. 

THE  next  morning  Eugene  spent  some  time  in  the 
cabin,  diligently  studying  the  great  chart  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  He  knew  their  course  was  laid  a  little 
south  of  west,  or,  as  the  sailors  have  it,  west  by  south, 
and  that  they  would  soon  be  on  a  line  with  three  islands 
to  the  north  of  them,  Gallego,  Duncan,  and  Clipperton, 
the  last  belonging  to  France,  and  with  the  few  islets 
about  it,  sometimes  called  the  Sandwich  Islands.  After 
that,  he  saw  there  was  only  one  vast  expanse  of  water  on 
every  hand  until  the  Marquesas  were  reached,  with  the 
single  exception  of  St.  Paul's  Island,  far  to  the  south,  and 
about  on  the  one  hundred  and  ninteenth  meridian. 

Leaving  the  cabin,  he  made  his  way  to  the  quarter- 
deck, where  he  found  the  Professor  seated  in  his  usual 
place,  and  the  Captain,  Mr.  Morgan,  and  Chester  grouped 
about  him. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Eugene,  where  do  you  come  from  ? "  asked 
the  Captain,  with  his  pleasant  smile. 

"  From  studying  the  chart,"  answered  Eugene ;  "  and 
I  see  we  are  now  fairly  on  our  way  to  the  Marquesas." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Captain ;  "  and  if  we  have  good 
weather,  I  hope  to  land  you  on  Nukahiva  by  the  time  you 
are  wholly  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of  your  late  run 
among  the  lava  beds  of  the  Galapagos." 

"  If  you  do  that,  it  will  just  suit  me,"  laughed  Eugene. 

"  Let 's  see,"  asked  Chester,  "  about  where  do  the 
Marquesas  lie?  You  ought  to  be  able  to  tell  us  that, 
brother." 

(152) 


THE   BROAD   PACIFIC.  153 

"They  lie  between  7°  47'  and  11°  south  latitude, 
and  138°  and  141°  west  longitude,"  answered  Eugene, 
promptly. 

"  Well,  that 's  a  pretty  long  stretch ;  and  I  should  say 
the  Captain  will  have  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  the  engineer 
in  order  to  make  good  his  promise  to  you." 

"  Oh,  I  can  do  it,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  confidently. 

"  The  Marquesas  are  really  quite  a  group,  are  they 
not?"  asked  Chester. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  Captain;  "there  are  two  clusters, 
and  quite  a  number  of  islands  in  all.  I  don't  know  just 
how  many." 

"  Thirteen,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  they  contain 
about  four  hundred  and  eighty  square  miles." 

"  They  are  quite  thickly  populated,  I  believe,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Exactly  what  the  present  population  is  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  say,"  was  the  reply.  "  Fifteen  years  ago  it  was 
a  little  more  than  10,000.  It  will  not,  I  think,  vary 
much  from  that,  now." 

"  The  Captain  says  there  are  two  clusters." 

"  Yes ;  the  northern  and  southern.  The  latter,  con- 
sisting of  Hiwaoa  or  Dominican,  Tohuata,  Motane,  and 
Fatuhiva  or  Magdalena,  was  discovered  in  1595  by 
Mendaua  de  Neyva,  a  Spaniard,  and  by  him  named  Las 
Marquesas  de  Mendoza,  in  honor  of  the  viceroy  of  Peru. 
The  northern  group  was  discovered  in  1791  by  Captains 
Marchand  and  Ingraham.  The  largest  islands  of  this 
cluster  are  Nukahiva,  Uahugo  or  Washington,  Uapoa  or 
Adams,  Shotomiti  or  Franklin,  and  Fatunhu." 

"They  are  not  of  coral  formation,  Professor?"  said 
Eugene. 

"  No,  they  are  of  volcanic  origin,  a  fact  which  is  suffi- 
ciently attested  by  long  rows  of  bleak  basaltic  rocks. 
Each  island  is  formed  by  a  mountain  ridge,  which  rises 


154  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

to  an  elevation  of  2,000  or  3,000  feet,  sending  forth 
numerous  lesser  chains,  between  which  fertile  valleys 
open  toward  the  ocean.  The  coast  is  for  the  most  part 
rugged  and  precipitous,  and  although  there  are  some 
coral  reefs,  the  roadsteads  are  generally  unprotected,  and 
hence  furnish  no  safe  anchorage." 

"  How  do  the  climate  and  productions  compare  with 
those  of  the  other  groups  of  sub-tropical  Polynesia  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"They  resemble  those  of  the  other  volcanic  islands," 
was  the  reply. 

"  There  is  plenty  of  rain,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  the  rainy  season  lasts  from  November  till  April. 
Droughts,  however,  are  not  unfrequent  during  the  hot 
season.  Krusenstein,  I  think,  mentions  one  which  lasted 
for  ten  months." 

"  I  have  read  that  the  vegetation  of  the  Marquesas 
Islands,  or  Mendana  Archipelago,  as  I  believe  it  is  some- 
times called,  is  truly  wonderful,"  said  Chester. 

"  It  is  so,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  the  valleys,  the 
soil  of  which  is  formed  by  hundreds  of  layers  of  decayed 
vegetation,  are  extremely  fertile^  and  produce  all  tropical 
fruits  in  abundance.  The  yam,  sugar-cane,  banana, 
plantain,  taro,  sweet  potato,  cotton  plant,  and  the  like 
grow  almost  without  culture.  The  hillsides  are  covered 
with  forests  of  cocoanut,  bread-fruit,  and  papaw  trees,  the 
fan-palm  and  other  trees ;  but  the  vigorous  growth  of 
underbrush  renders  them  almost  inaccessible." 

"  I  suppose  they  cannot  boast  of  much  in  the  way  of 
native  animals  ?  "  said  Eugene. 

"  The  fauna  of  the  islands  is  as  poor  as  their  flora  is 
rich,"  was  the  reply.  "  There  are  no  indigenous  mam- 
malia, but  swine,  cats,  and  rats  have  been  introduced  from 
Europe  and  America." 

"  Not  much  chance  for  game  there,  I  fear ;  but  how 
about  birds  ?" 


THE   MARQUESAS  ISLANDS.  155 

*  Of  birds  there  are  only  four  or  five  distinct  species : 
among  them  the  kurukuru  and  the  gupid,  a  parrot  of  the 
size  of  the  robin,  are  the  most  beautiful." 

"  But,"  suggested  the  Captain,  "  there  are  any  quan- 
tities of  water-fowl  on  the  coast." 

"  True,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  I  should  have  remem- 
bered that,  and  perhaps  I  ought  to  mention  that  valuable 
mussels  are  found  near  the  shore." 

"  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  people,"  said 
Eugene.  "  To  what  family  do  they  belong  ?  " 

"  The  accepted  theory,  until  recently,  has  been  that 
they,  in  common  with  the  brown  Polynesians,  belong  to 
the  Malay  race.  But  Rev.  Robert  W.  Logan  calls  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  later  investigations,  by  Judge  Fornan- 
der,  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  certain  German 
scholars,  render  it  probable  that  they  may  be  a  branch  of 
the  Caucasian  race.  He  says :  '  It  is  thought  that  by  means 
of  their  languages,  traditions,  and  mythologies  the  Polyne- 
sians can  be  traced  back  from  their  present  abode,  step 
by  step,  through  the  island  groups  of  the  Pacific  and 
Indian  Oceans  to  the  Indian  Peninsula,  and  onward  to  the 
central  tablelands  of  Asia,  whence  the  Caucasian  races, 
in  the  beginnings  of  history,  emigrated  westward  and 
southward.' " 

"  They  are  distinguished  by  grace  and  symmetry  of 
person,  I  am  told,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  particularly  the  men, 
who  are  also  remarkable  for  their  gigantic  size  and  great 
strength.  One  of  the  chiefs  being  measured  carefully 
was  found  to  be  six  feet  and  eight  inches  in  height,  and 
he  said  that  he  knew  another  chief  who  was  at  least  a 
foot  taller  than  himself." 

"  They  are  not  a  very  dark  people  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  Their  complexion,"  responded  the  Professor,  "  is  of  a 
light  copper  color  ;  the  women  appear  almost  white,  but 


156  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

this  is  the  result  of  the  application  of  the  root  of  the 
papaw  tree." 

"Yes,  I've  read  about  that,"  exclaimed  Eugene. 
"  Porter  mentions  it,  I  believe." 

"  He  does ;  and  also  refers  to  the  practice  of  tattooing." 

"  They  are  marvelous  at  that,  are  they  not  ?  " 

"  They  are  indeed ;  and  it  is  practiced  by  both  sexes." 

"  There  are  many  nations  where  this  decoration  is 
worn,"  said  the  Captain  ;  but  as  I  can  testify,  there  are  no 
people  on  the  face  of  the  earth  who  carry  it  out  so  fully 
as  do  the  Marquesans  ;  every  part  of  their  bodies,  even  to 
the  crown  of  the  head  and  the  fingers  and  toes  being  cov- 
ered with  the  pattern." 

"  But  the  women  don't  carry  it  to  that  extent,  do 
they  ?  "  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  No,"  rejoined  the  Captain,  "  this  extreme  elaboration 
is  only  to  be  found  in  the  men,  the  women  contenting 
themselves  with  a  bracelet  or  two  tattooed  on  their  arms, 
and  a  few  similar  ornaments  here  and  there." 

"  They  make  quite  a  time  when  the  tattooing  is  fin- 
ished, do  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor,  "  Langsdorff  says  that  some- 
tunes  a  rich  islander  will,  either  from  generosity,  ostenta- 
tion, or  love  to  his  wife,  make  a  feast  in  her  honor  when 
she  has  a  bracelet  tattooed  round  her  arm,  or  perhaps  her 
ear  ornamented.  A  hog  is  then  killed  and  the  friends  of 
both  sexes  are  invited  to  partake  of  it ;  the  occasion  of  the 
feast  being  made  known  to  them.  It  is  expected  that  the 
same  courtesy  will  be  returned  in  case  the  wife  of  any  of 
the  guests  being  punctured.  This  is  one  of  the  few  occa- 
sions on  which  women  are  allowed  to  eat  pork." 

"  I  -should  think,"  observed  Eugene,  "  if  they  like  the 
meat  they  would  go  in  for  tattooing  frequently." 

"  There  are  times  when  the  permission  is  taken  advant- 
age of.  For  instance,  if  in  a  very  dry  year  bread-fruit, 


THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS.  157 

hogs,  roots,  and  other  provisions  became  scarce,  any  one 
who  has  a  good  stock  of  them  (which  commonly  happens 
to  the  chief),  in  order  to  distribute  the  stores,  keeps  open 
table  for  a  certain  time  to  an  appointed  number  of  poor 
artists,  who  are  bound  to  give  in  return  some  strokes  of 
the  tattoo  to  all  who  choose  to  come  for  it ;  and,  of  course, 
such  women  as  come  are  permitted  to  eat  of  the  meat." 

"  How  about  social  life  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"Their  social  organization  is  similar  to  that  which 
prevailed  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  before  the  introduction 
of  Christianity.  They  are  divided  into  many  tribes  or 
clans,  among  whom  bloody  wars  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. The  taboo  serves  them  instead  of  religion.  The 
tabooed  or  privileged  classes  consist  of  atnas,  who  are 
venerated  as  superior  beings ;  tanas,  soothsayers  and 
"  medicine-men  ";  tataunas,  priests  and  surgeons ;  uhus,  the 
lowest  rank  of  the  hierarchy ;  kataikis,  secular  rulers ; 
and  toas,  war  chiefs.  The  non-tabooed  classes  are  the 
peio  pekeios,  servants ;  hokis,  singers  and  dancers ;  and 
nohuas,  common  laborers.  The  last-named  class  hold  a 
similar  position  to  that  of  the  pariahs  in  India." 

"What  is  it  I've  heard  about  the  women?"  asked 
Eugene.  "Don't  they  have  rather  the  best  of  it  in  a 
matrimonial  way, —  each  one  choosing  her  husband  for 
herself,  and  as  many  as  she  pleases  ? " 

"  Yes ;  polyandry  is  among  the  peculiar  institutions  of 
the  islanders.  The  women  not  only  have  as  many  hus- 
bands as  they  like,  but  retain  them  or  not  according  to 
their  pleasure.  Stewart,  who  spent  some  time  on  the 
islands,  says :  *  We  have  yet  met  with  no  instance,  in 
any  rank  of  society,  of  a  male  with  two  wives,  but  are 
informed  that  for  one  woman  to  have  two  husbands  is  a 
universal  habit.  Some  favorite  in  the  father's  household 
or  retinue,  at  an  early  period  becomes  the  husband  of  the 
daughter,  who  still  remains  under  the  paternal  roof,  till 


158  THE   MAKQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

contracted  in  marriage  to  a  second  individual ;  on  which, 
she  removes  with  her  first  husband  to  his  habitation,  and 
both  herself  and  original  companion  are  supported  by 
him.' " 

"  That 's  pretty  hard  on  the  second  husband,"  remarked 
Mr.  Morgan. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Eugene ;  "  but  just  think  what  a  '  soft 
snap '  it  is  for  the  first ! " 

"  I  should  n't  think  there  could  be  much  love  under 
such  circumstances,"  said  Chester,  thoughtfully. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  instances 
of  strong  conjugal  affection  are  reported  of  this  peculiar 
people.  Stewart  says  cases  are  known  in  which  the  infi- 
delity and  unkindness  of  a  husband  or  wife  has  so  deeply 
affected  the  happiness  of  the  companion,  as  to  lead  to  the 
commission  of  suicide,  by  swallowing  a  poisonous  berry 
growing  in  the  mountains,  or  by  hanging." 

"  Is  there  any  truth  in  the  statement  that  the  Mar- 
quesans  are  cannibals?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  best  authorities,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  state 
that  cannibalism  is.  sometimes  practiced  among  them, 
but  only  as  an  act  of  vengeance.  They  say  it  is  only  the 
bodies  of  slain  enemies  of  which  now  and  then  a  slice 
is  eaten.  Their  ordinary  food  consists  principally  of 
vegetables." 

"  But  like  all  the  other  South  Sea  Islanders,  they  drink 
kava,  and  plenty  of  it,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  the  highly  intoxicat- 
ing beverage  called  kava,  or  ava,  and  which  is  prepared 
by  chewing  the  root  of  the  kanoa  plant  {Piper  metisti- 
CWTW),  mixing  it  well  with  saliva,  and  then  spitting  it  into 
a  huge  bowl,  in  which  it  is  perfected  by  fermentation,  is 
extensively  used  by  them,  and  greatly  to  their  hurt,  as  it 
produces  leprosy  and  consumption." 

"But  generally  speaking,  they  are  a  remarkably  healthy 
people,  are  they  not,  Professor  ? "  asked  Chester. 


THE  MARQUESAS  ISLANDS.  159 

"  From  what  source  did  you  get  that  impression  ?  " 

"  I  think  from  Stewart,  whom  you  yourself  quoted  just 
now." 

"  I  think  Stewart  does  give  that  impression ;  but,  in 
the  first  place,  you  must  remember  it  is  some  time  since 
he  visited  the  group,  and  then,  perhaps,  you  did  not  read 
him  carefully." 

"  I  remember,"  said  Chester,  "  that  after  mentioning  a 
visit  of  sympathy  to  a  surly  old  woman,  who  lay  sick  in 
one  corner  of  her  hut,  he  says,' '  It  is  the  first  instance  I 
have  met  of  confinement  by  sickness ;  and  from  all  I  can 
learn,  their  diseases  are  few  and  not  very  frequent.' " 

"  Ah ! "  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  but  he  goes  on  to  say, 
'  Besides  pulmonary  affections  and  diseases  of  the  liver, 
they  have  the  dropsy,  which  they  ascribe  to  •  having  eaten 
fruit  that  has  been  tabooed  with  more  than  ordinary 
ceremony.  They  are  also  subject  to  rheumatism,  which, 
in  some  instances,  is  so  severe  as  to  contract  the  fingers 
and  toes,  so  as  to  cause  them  to  be  perfectly  double. 
This  effect,'  he  says,  'is  also  attributed  by  them  to  a 
superstitious  cause.'  He  then  mentions  leprosy,  and 
says  that  it  covers  the  skin  with  a  scurf,  affects  the  use 
of  the  limbs,  and  draws  the  fingers  backward ;  and  fur- 
ther, he  says  diseases  of  the  eye  are  not  unfrequent,  and 
that  sometimes  they  produce  total  blindness.  He  also 
mentions  several  ordinary  cutaneous  diseases." 

"  Yes,"  said  Chester ;  "  but  he  adds  that,  notwithstand- 
ing, they  are  altogether  a  more  smooth-skinned  race  than 
Hawaiians." 

"  Quite  true  ;  but,  as  you  know,  that  is  n't  saying  very 
much." 

"I  admit  the  fact,"  said  Chester;  "but  surely  they 
are  not  afflicted  with  that  disgusting  deformity,  the 
elephantiasis  ? " 

"  I  am  afraid  they  are,  and  to  a  considerable  extent." 


160  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

"Haven't  they  learned  to  dress  healthfully  yet?" 
asked  Eugene. 

"  It 's  a  question  what  is  the  most  healthful  mode  of 
dress  for  them,"  returned  the  Professor.  "  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  their  clothing  is  still  obtained  from  the  mulberry 
tree,  the  bark  of  which  they  render  thin  and  soft  by  beat- 
ing, after  the  manner  of  the  Samoans." 

"  They  live  comfortably  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  their  houses  are  erected  on  stone  platforms,  a 
few  feet  above  the  ground,  and  are  neatly  thatched  with 
leaves  of  the  cocoanut  tree.  They  show,  too,  a  remark-, 
able  regard  for  their  dead,  providing  for  their  last 
resting-place  houses  quite  as  good  as  those  they  them- 
'  selves  inhabit." 

"They  ought  to  have  an  interesting  history,"  suggested 
Eugene ;  "  or,  at  least,  something  in  the  way  of  tradition." 

"  They  have  no  history,  whatever,"  said  the  Professor. 
"Even  the  first  discovery  of  the  islands  by  Europeans 
has  been  entirely  forgotten,  though  the  Spaniards,  who  it 
is  claimed  introduced  swine,  and  also  Cook  (who  in 
1774  visited  one  of  the  islands)  and  Marchand,  are  still 
venerated  as  gods." 

"  The  French  claim  the  group,  do  they  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes.  Admiral  DuPetit  Thouars,  by  authority  of  the 
French  government,  took  possession  of  the  islands  in 
1842.  The  inhabitants  afterwards  made  some  unsuc- 
cessful attempts  at  reconquering  their  liberty.  In  1850, 
the  records  state,  the  island  of  Nukahiva  was  made  a 
penal  colony  for  political  convicts.  Only  one  convict 
was  sent  there,  however,  and  the  project  was  abandoned ; 
but  the  protectorate  of  France  is  still  maintained." 

"  All  the  islands  do  not,  or  have  not  always  acknowl- 
edged it  though,"  said  the  Captain  meaningly. 

"How's  that?"  asked  Eugene. 


THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS.  161 

•  Why,  in  1853,  several  Hawaiian  missionaries  were 
sent  to  Matunui,  the  chief  of  Fatuhiva,  by  his  request, 
and  as  to  what  followed,  Rev.  Hiram  Bingham,  Jr.,  says : 
'  But  only  five  days  after  they  had  landed,  a  French 
brig  anchored  there,  bringing  a  Catholic  priest.  He 
demanded  of  Matunui  and  the  other  chiefs  that  these 
missionaries  should  be  sent  away,  saying  that  the  Mar- 
quesas Islands  belonged  to  the  French.  One  of  the  chiefs 
replied,  "  No ;  the  land  is  not  yours.  It  belongs  to  this 
people ;  and  there  never  was  a  Frenchman  born  on  Fatu- 
hiva ;  and  these  teachers  must  not  be  sent  back."  So 
the  Hawaiians  were  not  sent  away.'  " 

"  Good  for  the  chief  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  The 
French  have  no  business  on  the  islands,  if  they  're  not 
wanted  there  —  no  more  business  than  they  have  in 
Madagascar." 

"  There  you  are  right,"  said  the  Captain,  approvingly. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  think  so  —  Chester,  what  have  you 
found  in  that  great  book  ? " 

His  brother  had  left  the  quarter-deck  for  a  moment, 
and  now  returned  with  a  large  open  book  in  his  hands. 

"  I  have  found  something  that  I  think  will  interest  you 
all,"  he  said,  as  he  resumed  his  seat. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  Professor  has  emphatically  declared  that  the 
Marquesans  have  no  history,  has  he  not?" 

"  That's  what  he  said." 

"  Well,  I  have  found  a  bit  of  genuine  Marquesan  his- 
tory, and  so  closely  interwoven  with  our  own,  that  I 
am  sure  it  must  prove  entertaining." 

"What  is  it,  brother?" 

"  The  account  of  Commodore  Porter's  visit  to  this 
people." 

"  You  can  hardly  call  that  history,  Chester,"  smiled 
the  Professor. 


162  THE   MARQUESAS  ISLANDS. 

"  Why  not  ? "  asked  the  y^oung  man.  "  It  is  an  authen- 
tic account  of  what  happened  among  them  at  a  very 
important  period." 

"  A  very  brief  period." 

"  True ;  but  then  I  said  it  was  a  bit  of  history." 

"  Never  mind  whether  it  be  history  or  not,"  interposed 
Eugene ;  let  us  have  the  story ;  we  can  name  it  after- 
wards." 

"  I  agree  to  that,"  laughed  the  Professor ;  "  and  beg 
that  Chester  will  begin." 

"  I  shall  not  undertake  to  give  you  the  whole  story, 
just  as  it  is  written,"  premised  Chester ;  "  that,  perhaps, 
would  be  too  great  an  affliction.  The  less  important 
parts  I  will  condense,  and  let  the  Commodore  speak  fully 
when  he  has  something  graphic  or  particularly  inter- 
esting to  say." 

"All  right;  go  ahead,"  nodded  Eugene  condescend- 
ingly. 

"  Another  thing,"  added  Chester,  in  way  of  explana- 
tion, "the  Commodore's  names  for  the  islands  do  not 
quite  agree  with  those  mentioned  by  the  Professor ;  and 
I  think  he  does  not  designate  the  clusters  in  the  same 
way." 

"  I  don't  wonder  at  that,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  "  the 
clusters  and  islands,  like  all  the  archipelagoes  in  the 
Pacific,  have  more  names  than  a  royal  prince  of  Spain." 

"  Perhaps,"  suggested  the  Professor,  "  the  best  way  to 
designate  the  islands  would  be  that  adopted  by  a  certain 
French  authority.  He  calls  the  whole  group  the  Men- 
dafia  Archipelago ;  the  northern  cluster,  Washington ; 
the  southern,  Marquesas ;  the  names  for  single  islands 
it  is  hard  to  find  a  rule  for." 

"I  believe  in  giving  them  the  native  names,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Perhaps  that  would  be  the  most  proper  course," 
assented  the  Professor. 


THE   MARQUESAS  ISLANDS.  163 

"  It  would,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  for  it  is  the  only  just 
course." 

"  Well,"  interposed  the  Captain,  "  now  let 's  hear  what 
the  Commodore  has  to  say." 

"  It  was  on  the  24th  of  October,  1813,  that  Commodore 
Porter  sighted  what  he  calls  the  island  of  Rooahooga, 
one  of  the  Washington  group  of  the  Marquesas  Islands," 
prefaced  Chester. 

"  That  is  what  is  now  called  Uahuga  or  Washington 
Island,"  commented  the  Professor. 

"Well,  after  mentioning  the  other  islands  of  the 
cluster,  he  proceeds  to  describe  this  one." 

"  What  does  he  say  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  '  Its  aspect,'  he  says,  '  on  first  making  it,  was  little 
better  than  the  barren  and  desolate  islands  we  had  been 
so  long  among;  but  on  our  nearer  approach  the  fertile 
valleys,  whose  beauties  were  heightened  by  the  pleasant 
streams  and  clusters  of  houses,  and  intervened  by  groups 
of  the  natives  on  the  hills  inviting  us  to  land,  produced  a 
contrast  much  to  the  advantage  of  the  islands  we  were 
now  about  visiting  —  indeed  the  extreme  fertility  of  the 
soil,  as  it  appeared  to  us  after  rounding  the  southeast 
point  of  the  island,  produced  sensations  we  had  been  little 
accustomed  to,  and  made  us  long  for  the  fruits  with  which 
the  trees  appeared  everywhere  loaded. 

"  '  On  rounding  the  southeast  part  of  the  island  we  saw 
a  canoe  coming  off  to  the  ship  with  eight  of  the  natives, 
one  of  whom  was  seated  in  the  bow  with  his  head  orna- 
mented with  yellow  leaves,  which  at  a  distance  we  sup- 
posed to  be  feathers.  They  approached  us  very  cau- 
tiously, and  would  not  venture  alongside  until  we  had  run 
very  close  in.  We  had  a  native  of  the  island  of  Otaheite 
on  board,  who  enabled  them,  but  with  apparent  difficulty, 
to  comprehend  our  wishes,  and  who  gave  them  repeated 
assurances  of  our  friendly  disposition.  They  frequently 


164  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

repeated  to  us  the  word  taya,  which  signifies  friend,  and 
invited  us  to  the  shore.  Their  bodies  were  entirely 
naked,  and  their  chief  ornament  consisted  in  the  dark 
and  fanciful  lines  formed  by  tattooing,  which  covered 
them.  On  their  leaving  us  I  bore  away  for  several  other 
canoes  which  were  launched  from  the  different  coves  with 
which  the  coast  was  indented,  but  nothing  could  induce 
them  to  come  near  the  ship.  I  was  anxious  to  procure 
some  refreshments,  but  more  so  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of 
a  people  with  whom  the  world  is  so  little  acquainted. 
One  of  the  canoes  displayed  a  white  flag.  I  caused  a  sim- 
ilar emblem  of  peace  to  be  exhibited,  and  after  waiting 
some  time,  perceiving  that  they  were  fearful  of  coming 
alongside,  I  caused  two  boats  to  be  manned  and  armed, 
and  proceeded  toward  them.  I  soon  approached  them, 
and  directed  the  Otaheitan  to  inform  them  that  we  were 
friendly  disposed,  and  were  willing  to  purchase  of  them 
the  articles  they  had  to  sell,  which  consisted  of  hogs, 
plantains,  bread-fruit,  cocoanuts,  etc.,  and  through  the 
same  medium  informed  them  that  I  should  proceed  to  the 
shore,  and  there  remain  as  a  hostage  for  their  safety. 
Some  of  them  went  off  to  the  ship,  but  the  greater  num- 
ber followed  me  to  the  shore,  where  they  were  collected 
in  groups,  armed  with  their  spears  and  war-clubs,  to 
receive  me,  and  collecting  in  considerable  numbers  from 
every  quarter.  I  went  close  in  with  my  boat,  where  I 
made  an  exchange  of  pieces  of  iron  hoops  and  other  arti- 
cles for  their  ornaments  and  fruit.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
spears  and  war-clubs  were  laid  aside,  and  swarms  of 
natives  swam  off  to  me  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the 
island.  All  seemed  greatly  to  rejoice  that  we  had  so  pre- 
cious an  article  to  offer  them  as  pieces  of  old  iron  hoops, 
which  were  held  in  such  high  estimation  that  good-sized 
pigs  were  purchased  for  a  few  inches.  Some,  to  express 
their  joy,  were  seen  dancing  on  the  beach  with  the  most 


THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS.  165 

extravagant  gestures,  while  others  expressed  the  pleasure 
they  felt  by  shouting  and  clapping  their  hands.  But,  not- 
withstanding this  friendly  intercourse,  it  was  very  evident 
that  they  had  strong  suspicions  of  us.  They  always 
approached  the  boat  with  the  greatest  awe  and  agitation, 
and  in  every  instance,  where  articles  were  presented  to 
them,  they  shrunk  back  with  terror,  and  retreated  to  the 
shore  with  the  utmost  precipitation.  One  among  them, 
however,  ventured  to  raise  himself  by  the  side  of  the  boat, 
and  perceiving  a  pistol  lying  in  the  stern  sheets,  showed 
an  evident  desire  to  possess  it.  It  was  with  some  diffi- 
culty I  could  make  him  let  go  his  hold  of  the  boat ;  and 
to  intimidate  him  I  presented  the  pistol  at  him ;  but  it 
produced  no  other  effect  than  joy,  as  he  immediately  held 
out  both  his  hands  to  receive  it,  from  which  I  concluded 
that  they  were  unacquainted  with  the  use  of  fire-arms. 

" '  After  leaving  these  friendly  people  I  proceeded  for 
the  frigate,  where  I  found  the  traffic  with  the  canoes,  that 
had  gone  off,  had  been  conducted  with  much  harmony. 
Some  of  them  I  passed  very  close  to  on  their  return,  and 
the  natives  on  board  them  expressed  their  extreme  satis- 
faction by  expressions  of  the  most  extravagant  joy.  One 
of  them  in  the  fullness  of  his  heart,  said  he  was  so  glad 
he  longed  to  get  on  shore  to  dance.  On  rejoining  the 
ship  I  was  informed  by  the  officers  that  the  natives  who 
had  been  on  board  had  expressed  much  surprise  at  the 
sight  of  the  goats,  sheep,  dogs,  and  other  animals ;'  but 
what  seemed  most  to  astonish  them  was  one  of  the  large 
Galapagos  tortoises.  It  seemed  as  though  they  could  not 
sufficiently  feast  their  eyes  on  it ;  and  to  view  it  more  at 
their  ease  they  stretched  themselves  at  full  length  on  the 
deck  around  it;  and  this  appeared  to  be  their  general 
practice  when  they  wished  to  view  leisurely  any  object 
that  excited  their  attention,  a  practice  which  seems  to 
bespeak  the  natural  indolence  of  this  people. 


166  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

"  l  The  men  of  this  island  are  remarkably  handsome  ; 
of  large  stature  and  well  proportioned ;  they  possess  every 
variety  of  countenance  and  feature,  and  a  great  difference 
is  observable  in  the  color  of  the  skin,  which  for  the  most 
part  is  that  of  a  copper  color ;  but  some  are  as  fair  as  the 
generality  of  working  people  much  exposed  to  the  sun  of 
warm  climate.  The  old  men  (but  particularly  the  chiefs) 
are  entirely  black ;  but  this  is  owing  wholly  to  the  prac- 
tice of  tattooing,  with  which  they  are  covered  all  over,  and 
it  requires  a  close  inspection  to  perceive  that  the  black- 
ness of  their  skin  is  owing  to  this  cause ;  and  when  the 
eye  is  once  familiarized  with  men  ornamented  after  this- 
manner  we  perceive  a  richness  in  the  skin  of  an  old  man 
highly  tattooed  comparable  to  that  which  we  perceive  in 
a  highly  wrought  piece  of  old  mahogany ;  for,  on  a  minute 
examination,  may  be  discovered  innumerable  lines,  curved, 
straight,  and  irregular,  drawn  with  the  utmost  correct- 
ness, taste,  and  symmetry,  and  yet  apparently  without 
order  or  any  determined  plan.  The  young  men,  the  fair- 
ness of  whose  skin  is  contrasted  by  the  ornaments  of  tat- 
tooing, certainly  have,  at  first  sight,  a  more  handsome 
appearance  than  those  entirely  covered  with  it ;  but  in  a 
short  time  we  are  induced  to  think  that  tattooing  is  as 
necessary  an  ornament  for  a  native  of  these  islands  as 
clothing  is  for  an  European.  The  neatness  and  beauty 
with  which  this  species  of  ornament  is  finished  served 
greatly  to  surprise  us,  and  we  could  not  help  believing 
that  they  had  among  them  tattooers  by  profession,  some 
of  them,  no  doubt,  equal  in  celebrity  to  the  most  renowned 
tailors  of  America,  for  we  afterward  discovered  that  the 
most  wealthy  and  high  class  was  more  fully  and  hand- 
somely tattooed  than  those  of  an  inferior  station,  which  is 
a  sufficient  evidence  that  tattooing  has  its  price. 

"  *  The  young   girls   that  we   had   an   opportunity  of 
seeing,  were,  as  I  before  observed,  handsome  and  well 


THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 


167 


formed ;  their  skins  were  remarkably  soft  and   smooth, 
and  their  complexions  no  darker  than  many  brunettes  in 


TATTOOED   MARQUESAN   CHIEFS. 


America  celebrated  for  their  beauty.  Their  modesty  was 
more  evident  than  that  of  the  women  of  any  place  we 
have  visited  since  leaving  our  own  country.  Nakedness 


168  THE   MARQUESAS   ISLANDS. 

they  cannot  consider  offensive  to  modesty ;  they  are 
accustomed  to  it  from  their  infancy.  I  find  no  difficulty 
in  believing  that  an  American  lady,  who  exposes  to  view 
her  face,  her  bosom,  and  her  arms,  is  as  modest  and  vir- 
tuous as  the  wife  of  a  Turk,  who  is  seen  only  by  her 
husband ;  or  that  a  female  of  the  Washington  group, 
who  is  seen  in  a  state  of  nature,  may  be  as  modest  and 
virtuous  as  either.  That  they  have  a  high  sense  of 
shame  and  pride,  I  had  afterwards  many  opportunities 
of  observing.'" 

"  Sail  ho ! "  came  suddenly  from  the  lookout  forward, 
and  the  Captain  and  Mr.  Morgan  rushed  away. 

Presently  the  others  became  interested  in  the  stranger, 
and  the  book  was  laid  aside  for  the  day. 


NECK  OKNAMENT. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

NUKAHIVA  — A  BATTLE  WITH  A  NATIVE  TRIBE. 

OUR  friends  were  early  on  the  quarter-deck  next 
morning,  and  Chester  was  speedily  urged  to  go  on 
with  the  Commodore's  story. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  after  referring  to  the  volume,  "  I  see 
that  at  daylight  the  following  morning  they  bore  up  for 
Nukahiva,  or,  as  he  calls  it,  Madison's  Island,  where  they 
put  in  to  a  beautiful  bay,  and  came  to  anchor.  This  har- 
bor the  Commodore  named  Massachusetts  Bay.  Here  he 
was  soon  joined  by  the  Essex  Junior,  which  vessel  had 
parted  company  to  cruise,  when  he  believed  himself  suffi- 
ciently secure  to  commence  a  regular  overhauling  of  the 
ships. 

"  As  the  Essex  stood  in  toward  the  land,  a  boat  came 
off  from  the  shore  with  three  white  men  in  her,  one  of 
whom,  to  Porter's  great  astonishment,  proved  to  be  John 
M.  Maury,  an  American  midshipman,  who  had  left  the 
United  States  on  furlough  in  a  merchant-ship.  He  had 
been  left  on  the  island  by  the  master  of  the  vessel  to 
gather  sandal-wood  while  the  ship  was  gone  to  China. 
As  it  was  supposed  the  war  would  prevent  the  return  of 
the  ship,  Mr.  Maury  and  his  party  were  received  on  board 
the  frigate.  Wilson,  one  of  them,  was  an  Englishman 
by  birth.  He  had  been  many  years  on  the  islands,  and 
with  the  exception  of  a  cloth  around  his  loins,  was  com- 
pletely naked.  His  body  was  tattooed  all  over,  and  in 
every  respect  except  color  he  had  become  a  Polynesian. 
He  assisted  Commodore  —  then  Captain  —  Porter  as  in- 

(169) 


170  NUKAHIVA. 

terpreter,  and  without  his  aid  he  would  have  succeeded 
badly  on  the  island. 

"  Porter  landed  with  a  party  of  marines  and  sailors. 
The  drum  appeared  to  give  the  natives  much  pleasure ; 
and  the  regular  movements  of  the  marines  occasioned 
great  astonishment.  They  said  they  were  spirits,  or 
beings  of  a  class  different  from  other  men.  '  I  directed 
them,'  says  Porter, '  to  be  put  through  their  exercises ; 
and  the  firing  of  the  muskets  occasioned  but  little  terror, 
except  among  the  women,  who  generally  turned  away 
their  faces  and  covered  their  ears  with  their  hands.  The 
men  and  boys  were  all  attention  to  the  skipping  of  the 
balls  in  the  water;  but  at  every  fire  all  habitually  inclined 
their  bodies,  as  if  to  avoid  the  shot,  although  behind  the 
men  who  were  firing.  After  remaining  a  short  time  with 
them,  I  distributed  among  them  some  knives,  fish-hooks, 
etc.,  which  they  received  with  much  apparent  pleasure ; 
but  no  one  offered,  like  the  natives  of  the  other  island, 
anything  in  return. 

" '  Observing  the  mountains  surrounding  the  valleys  to 
be  covered  with  numerous  groups  of  natives,  I  inquired 
the  cause,  and  was  informed  that  a  warlike  tribe  residing 
beyond  the  mountains  had  been  for  several  weeks  at  war 
with  the  natives  of  the  valley,  into  which  they  had  made 
several  incursions,  and  had  destroyed  many  houses  and 
plantations,  and  had  killed,  by  cutting  around  the  bark,  a 
great  number  of  bread-fruit  trees. 

"'I  inquired  if  it  were  possible  to  get  a  message  to 
them  ;  and  was  informed  that  notwithstanding  they  were 
at  war  and  showed  no  quarter  to  each  other,  there  were 
certain  persons  of  both  tribes  who  were  permitted  to  pass 
and  repass  freely  and  uninterrupted  from  one  tribe  to 
another ;  such,  for  example,  as  a  man  belonging  to  one 
tribe  who  had  married  a  woman  belonging  to  the  other. 
I  inquired  if  any  such  were  present;  and  one  being 


NUKAHIVA.  171 

pointed  out  to  me,  I  directed  him  to  proceed  to  the 
Happahs,  and  to  tell  them  that  I  had  come  with  a  force 
sufficiently  strong  to  drive  them  from  the  island,  and  if 
they  presumed  to  enter  the  valley  while  I  remained  there, 
I  should  send  a  body  of  men  to  chastise  them ;  to  tell 
them  to  cease  all  hostilities  so  long  as  I  remained  among 
them ;  that  if  they  had  hogs  or  fruit  to  dispose  of,  they 
might  come  and  trade  freely  with  us,  as  I  should  not  permit 
the  natives  of  the  valley  to  injure  or  molest  them.  To 
the  natives  of  the  valley  —  who  listened  attentively  and 
with  apparent  pleasure  to  the  message  sent  to  the  Hap- 
pahs —  I  then  addressed  myself,  and  assured  them  that 
I  had  come  with  the  most  friendly  disposition ;  that  I 
wanted  nothing  from  them  but  what  I  paid  for ;  that 
they  must  look  on  us  as  brethren ;  and  that  I  should 
protect  them  against  the  Happahs  should  they  again 
venture  to  descend  from  the  mountains.  I  directed 
them  to  leave  at  home  their  spears,  slings,  and  clubs  — 
their  only  weapons  of  war  —  in  order  that  we  might 
know  them  from  the  Happahs ;  and  told  them  that  I 
should  consider  all  as  my  enemies  who  should  appear 
armed  in  my  presence.  All  listened  with  much  atten- 
tion ;  their  spears  and  clubs  were  thrown  on  one  side. 
My  attention  was  soon  drawn  to  an  object  which  at*  the 
moment  had  presented  itself.  A  handsome  young 
woman,  of  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  her  complexion 
fairer  than  common,  her  carriage  majestic,  and  her  dress 
better  and  somewhat  different  from  the  other  females, 
approached.  Her  glossy  black  hair  and  her  skin  were 
highly  anointed  with  the  cocoanut  oil,  and  her  whole 
person  and  appearance  neat,  sleek,  and  comely.  On 
inquiry  who  this  dignified  personage  might  be,  I  was 
informed  that  her  name  was  Piteenee,  a  grand-daughter 
of  the  chief,  or  greatest  man  in  the  valley,  whose  name 
was  G-attanewa.  This  lady,  on  whose  countenance  was 


172  NUKAHIVA. 

not  to  be  perceived  any  of  those  playful  smiles  which 
enliven  the  countenances  of  the  others,  I  was  informed 
was  held  in  great  estimation,  on  account  of  her  rank 
and  beauty ;  and  I  felt  that  it  would  be  necessary,  from 
motives  of  policy,  to  pay  some  attentions  to  a  personage 
so  exalted.  She  received  my  advances  with  a  coldness 
and  hauteur  which  would  have  suited  a  princess,  and 
repelled  everything  like  familiarity  with  a  sternness  that 
astonished  me. 

•  " '  Gattanewa,  the  chief  of  the  Tayehs,  the  tribe  who 
inhabited  this  valley,  I  was  informed  at  the  time  of  my 
landing,  was  at  a  fortified  village,  which  was  pointed  out 
to  me,  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  highest  mountains.  The 
manner  of  fortifying  these  places,  is  to  plant  closely  on 
end,  the  bodies  of  large  trees,  of  forty  feet  in  length,  and 
securing  them  together  by  pieces  of  timber  strongly 
lashed  across,  presenting  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  difficult 
of  access,  a  breastwork  of  considerable\extent,  which 
would  require  European  artillery  to  destroy.  At  the 
back  of  this  a  scaffolding  is  raised,  on  which  is  placed 
a  platform  for  the  warriors,  who  ascend  by  the  means  of 
ladders,  and  thence  shower  down  on  their  assailants 
spears  and  stones. 

"'.When  the  ship  was  moored,  the  shore  was  lined^ 
with  the  natives  of  both  sexes ;  but  the  females  were 
more  numerous,  waving  their  white  cloaks  or  cahoes  for 
us  to  come  on  shore.  The  boats  were  got  out,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  shore,  where,  on  landing,  they  were  taken 
complete  possession  of  by  the  women,  who  insisted  on 
going  to  the  ship,  and  in  a  short  time  she  was  completely 
filled  by  them,  of  all  ages  and  descriptions,  from  the  age 
of  sixty  years  to  that  of  ten ;  some  as  remarkable  for 
their  beauty  as  others  for  their  ugliness.  The  ship  was 
a  perfect  bedlam  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  until 
their  departure,  which  was  not  until  morning,  when  they 


NUKAHIVA.  173 

were  put  on  shore,  not  only  with  whatever  was  given 
them,  but  with  whatever  they  could  lay  their  hands  on. 

" '  The  object  of  the  greatest  value  at  this  as  well  as 
all  the  other  islands  of  the  group,  is  whales'  teeth.  No 
jewel,  however  valuable,  is  half  so  much  esteemed  in 
Europe  or  America,  as  is  a  whale's  tooth  here.  I  have 
seen  them  by  fits  laugh  and  cry  for  joy  at  the  possession 
of  one  of  these  darling  treasures.  Some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  value  in  which  they  are  held  by  the  na- 
tives, when  it  is  known  that  a  ship  of  three  hundred 
tons  burden  may  be  loaded  with  sandal-wood  at  this 
island,  and  the  only  object  of  trade  necessary  to  procure 
it,  is  ten  whales'  teeth  of  a  large  size ;  and  for  these 
the  natives  will  cut  it,  bring  it  from  the  distant  moun- 
tains, and  take  it  on  board  the  ship  ;  and  this  cargo  in 
China  would  be  worth  near  a  million  of  dollars.  I  have 
seen  this  sandal-wood,  that  is  so  highly  esteemed  by  the 
Chinese ;  —  indeed,  their  infatuation  for  it  falls  little 
short  of  that  of  the  natives  for  whales'  teeth  —  it  does 
not  appear  capoble  of  receiving  a  high  polish,  nor  is  its 
color  agreeable ;  the  odor  arising  from  it  is  pleasant, 
and  the  principal  uses  to  which  the  Chinese  are  said 
to  apply  it,  is  to  burn  it  in  their  temples,  and  to  extract 
from  it  an  oil  which  is  said  to  be  of  great  value.' 

"  In  a  short  time,"  Chester  continued,  after  pausing 
for  a  moment,  and  slowly  turning  several  leaves,  "  Gafc- 
tanewa,  the  chief,  came1  on  board  the  Essex.  Most  of 
the  warriors  they  had  seen  were  highly  ornamented  with 
plumes,  and  were  attired  in  all  the  gew-gaws  of  savage 
splendor.  They  generally  carried  a  black  and  highly 
polished  spear,  or  a  club  richly  carved,  and  their  bodies 
were  elegantly  tattooed.  You  can  judge  then  what 
was  Porter's  astonishment  when  Gattanewa  presented 
himself,  an  infirm  old  man  of  seventy  years  of  age, 
destitute  of  every  covering  or  ornament  except  a  nar- 


174 


NUKAHIVA. 


row  cloth  around  his  loins,  and  a  piece  of  palm  leaf  tied 
about  his  head." 

Then  resuming  his  reading : 


MAKQUESAN  CHIEF. 


"  *  A  long  stick,'  says  Porter,  '  seemed  to  assist  him  in 
walking;  his  face  and  body  were  as  black  as  a  negro's, 


NUKAHIVA.  175 

from  the  quantity  of  tattooing,  which  entirely  covered 
them,  and  his  skin  was  rough,  and  appeared  to  be  peel- 
ing off  in  scales,  from  the  quantity  of  kava  with  which 
he  had  indulged  himself.  Such  was  the  figure  that  Gat- 
tanewa  presented;  and  as  he  had  drank  freely  of  the 
kava  before  he  made  his  visit,  he  appeared  to  be  perfectly 
stupid.  After  he  had  been  a  short  time  on  deck,  I 
endeavored  to  impress  him  with  a  high  opinion  of  our 
force ;  and  for  this  purpose  assembled  all  my  crew ;  it 
scarcely  seemed  to  excite  his  attention.  I  then  caused  a 
gun  to  be  fired,  which  seemed  to  produce  no  other  effect 
on  him  than  that  of  pain  ;  he  complained  that  it  hurt  his 
ears ;  I  then  invited  him  below,  where  nothing  whatever 
excited  his  attention,  until  I  showed  him  some  whales' 
teeth;  this  roused  the  old  man  from  his  lethargy,  and 
he  would  not  be  satisfied  until  I  had  permitted  him  to 
handle,  to  measure,  and  count  them  over  and  over,  which 
seemed  to  afford  him  infinite  pleasure.  After  he  had 
done  this  repeatedly,  I  put  them  away ;  and  shortly  after- 
wards asked  him  if  he  had  seen  anything  in  the  ship 
that  pleased  him ;  if  so,  to  name  it  and  it  should  be  his. 
He  told  me  he  had  seen  nothing  which  had  pleased  him 
so  much  as  one  of  the  small  whale's  teeth,  which  on  his 
describing,  I  took  out  and  gave  to  him ;  this  he  carefully 
wrapped  up  in  one  of  the  turns  of  his  cloth,  begging  me 
not  to  inform  any  person  that  he  had  about  him  an 
article  of  so  much  value ;  I  assured  him  that  I  would 
not ;  and  the  old  man  threw  himself  on  the  settee  and 
went  to  sleep.  In  a  few  minutes  he  awoke,  somewhat 
recovered  from  his  stupidity,  and  requested  to  be  put  on 
shore  ;  he,  however,  previous  to  his  departure,  wished  me 
to  exchange  names  with  him,  and  requested  me  to  assist 
him  in  his  war  with  the  Happahs ;  to  the  first  I  imme- 
diately consented.  He  told  me  they  had  cursed  the  bones 
of  his  mother,  who  had  died  but  a  short  time  before; 


176  NUKAHIVA. 

that  as  we  had  exchanged  names,  she  was  now  my 
mother,  and  I  was  bound  to  espouse  her  cause.  I  told 
him  I  would  think  of  the  subject,  and  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  make  any  further  reply  to  the  old  man's 
sophistry.' " 

"  Permit  me  to  remind  you,  Chester,  that  you  prom- 
ised to  skip  all  but  the  most  interesting  parts/'  warned 
Eugene,  who  had  heared  quite  enough  of  the  old  chief. 

"  Thank  you,"  responded  his  brother,  "  I  '11  make  a 
break  right  here,  and  merely  give  you  a  synopsis  of  the 
next  few  pages." 

"  That's  right ;  only  don't  leave  out  anything  of  im- 
portance." 

"  I  will  endeavor  not  to.  Well,  Commodore  Porter 
now  unbent  the  sails  of  the  Essex  and  sent  them  on 
shore ;  landed  his  water  casks,  with  which  he  formed  a 
complete  inclosure,  and  the  ship  was  hauled  close  within 
the  beach,  and  they  began  to  make  their  repairs.  A  tent 
was  erected,  and  the  whole  placed  under  a  guard  of 
marines.  In  the  meanwhile  the  Happahs  descended  in 
a  large  body  into  the  valley,  and  destroyed  an  immense 
number  of  the  bread-fruit  trees.  They  sent  word  that 
inasmuch  as  the  Americans  had  not  opposed  them  they 
believed  they  were  cowards,  and  that  they  should  visit 
their  camp  and  carry  off  their  sails.  Before  proceeding 
to  extremities,  Commodore  Porter  thought  he  would  try 
and  frighten  them  out  of  their  hostile  notions.  As  Gat- 
tanewa  made  daily  applications  for  assistance,  Porter  at 
length  told  him  that  if  his  people  would  carry  a  heavy 
gun,  a  six-pounder,  up  to  the  top  of  a  high  mountain 
which  he  pointed  out  to  him,  he  would  send  men  up  to 
work  it  and  drive  away  the  Ilappahs,  who  still  kept  pos- 
session of  the  surrounding  hills.  This  was  unanimously 
agreed  to  by  every  man  in  the  valley.  On  the  gun  being 
landed,  he  caused  a  few  shots  to  be  fired  over  the  water, 


A   BATTLE   WITH    A    NATIVE  TRIBE.  177 

first  with  ball  and  then  with  grape  shot,  which  last 
particularly  so  delighted  those  simple  people  that  they 
hugged  and  kissed  the  gun,  and  lay  down  beside  it  and 
caressed  it  with  the  utmost  fondness. 

"  And  now  let  the  Commodore  speak  for  himself  again : 
" '  While  the  natives  were  employed  with  their  darling 
gun,'  he  says, '  I  occupied  myself  in  forwarding  as  much 
as  possible  the  ship's  duty.  No  work  was  exacted  from 
any  person  after  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  the  rest  of 
the  day  was  given  to  repose  and  amusement,  one-fourth 
of  the  crew  being  allowed  after  that  hour  to  go  on  shore, 
there  to  remain  until  daylight  next  morning.  Everything 
went  on  as  well  as  I  could  have  wished,  and  much  better 
than  I  could  possibly  have  expected.  The  day  after  the 
gun  was  moved  for  the  mountains,  the  chief  warrior  of 
the  Tayehs,  named  Mouina,  was  introduced  to  me.  He 
was  a  tall,  well-shaped  man  of  about  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  remarkably  active,  of  an  intelligent  and  open 
countenance,  and  his  whole  appearance  was  prepossess- 
ing. He  had  just  left  the  other  warriors  in  the  fortified 
village,  and  had  come  down  to  request  me  to  cause  a 
musket  to  be  fired  —  which  he  called  a  bouhi  —  that  he 
might  witness  its  effects.  Several  individuals  of  the  tribe 
of  the  Happahs.were  at  that  moment  about  the  camp,  and 
I  was  pleased  at  the  opportunity  which  was  afforded  me 
to  convince  them  of  the  folly  of  resisting  our  firearms 
with  slings  and  spears.  1  fired  several  times  myself  at 
a  mark  to  show  them  that  I  never  failed  of  hitting  an 
object  the  size  of  a  man.  I  then  directed  the  marines  to 
fire  by  volleys  at  a  cask,  which  was  soon  like  a  riddle. 

" '  Mouina  appeared  much  pleased  with  the  effect  of 
our  musketry,  and  frequently  exclaimed,  Mattee,  mattee! 
killed,  killed !  The  Happahs  who  were  present,  how- 
ever, replied  that  nothing  could  persuade  their  tribe  that 
bouhies  could  do  them  the  injury  that  we  pretended; 


178  A   BATTLE   WITH    A   NATIVE  TRIBE. 

that  they  were  determined  to  try  the  effects  of  a  battle, 
and  if  they  should  be  beaten,  that  they  would  be  willing 
to  make  peace,  but  not  before.  I  informed  them  that 
they  would  not  find  me  so  ready  to  make  peace  after 
beating  them,  as  at  present,  and  that  I  should  insist  on 
being  paid  for  the  trouble  they  might  put  me  to.  Seeing 
that  these  strange  people  were  resolutely  bent  on  trying 
the  effect  of  their  arms  against  ours,  I  thought  that  the 
sooner  they  were  convinced  of  their  folly,  the  better. 
Indeed,  it  became  absolutely  necessary  to  do  something, 
for  the  Happahs  present  informed  me  that  their  tribe 
believed  that  we  were  afraid  to  attack  them,  as  we  had 
threatened  so  much  without  attempting  anything;  and 
this  idea,  I  found,  began  to  prevail  among  those  of  our 
valley,  which  is  called  the  valley  of  Tieuhoy,  and  the 
people  Havouhsj  Parques,  Jloattas,  etc.,  for  the  valley  is 
subdivided  into  other  valleys  by  the  hills,  and  each  small 
valley  is  inhabited  by  distinct  tribes,  governed  by  their 
own  laws,  and  having  their  own  chiefs  and  priests. 

" '  On  the  28th  of  October,  Gattanewa,  with  several  of 
the  warriors,  came  to  inform  me  that  the  gun  was  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  where  I  had  directed  it  to  be 
carried,  and  that  it  would  have  reached  the  summit  by 
the  time  our  people  could  get  up  there.  I  informed 
them  that,  on  the  next  morning  at  daylight,  forty  men, 
with  their  muskets,  would  be  on  shore  and  in  readiness 
to  march ;  and  as  I  supposed  it  would  be  impossible  for 
our  people  to  scale  the  mountains,  when  incumbered  with 
their  arms,  I  desired  them  to  send  me  forty  natives  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  their  muskets,  and  an  equal 
number  to  carry  provisions,  as  well  as  ammunition  for 
the  six-pounder,  which  they  promised  me  should  be  done, 
and  every  arrangement  was  made  accordingly,  and  the 
command  of  the  expedition  given  to  Lieutenant  Downes. 

"'On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  party  being  on 


A    BATTLE    WITH    A    NATIVE   TRIBE.  179 

shore,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  crew  of  the  Essex  Junior 
and  the  detachment  of  marines,  each  man  being  fur- 
nished with  a  native  to  carry  his  arms,  and  spare  natives 
to  carry  provisions  and  other  articles,  I  gave  the  order  to 
march.  About  eleven  o'clock  I  perceived  that  our  people 
had  gained  the  mountains,  and  were  driving  the  Happahs 
from  height  to  height,  they  fighting  as  they  retreated, 
and  daring  our  men  to  follow  them  with  threatening 
gesticulations.  A  native,  who  bore  the  American  flag, 
waved  it  in  triumph  as  he  skipped  along  the  moun- 
tains—  they  were  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of 
friendly  natives,  armed  as  usual,  but  wrho  generally  kept 
in  the  rear  of  our  men.  Mouina  alone  was  seen  in  the 
advance  of  the  whole,  and  was  well  known  by  his  scarlet 
cloak  and  waving  plumes.  In  about  an  hour  we  lost 
sight  of  the  combatants,  and  saw  no  more  of  them  until 
about  four  o'clock,  when  they  were  discovered  descending 
the  mountains  on  their  return,  the  natives  bearing  five 
dead  bodies  slung  on  poles. 

"  *  Lieutenant  Downes  and  his  men  soon  after  arrived 
at  the  camp,  overcome  with  the  fatigue  of  an  exercise  to 
which  they  had  been  so  little  accustomed.  He  informed 
me  that  on  his  arrival  near  the  tops  of  the  mountains, 
the  Happahs,  stationed  on  the  summit,  had  assailed  him 
and  his  men  with  stones  and  spears ;  that  he  had  driven 
them  from  place  to  place  until  they  had  taken  refuge  in 
a  fortress,  erected  in  a  manner  before  described,  on  the 
brow  of  a  steep  hill.  Here  they  all  made  a  stand,  to 
the  number  of  between  three  and  four  thousand.  They 
dared  our  people  to  ascend  this  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which 
they  had  made  a  halt  to  take  breath.  The  word  was 
given  by  Mr.  Downes  to  rush  up  the  hill ;  at  that  instant 
a  stone  struck  him  in  the  stomach  and  laid  him  breath- 
less on  the  ground,  and  at  the  same  instant  one  of  our 
people  was  pierced  with  a  spear  through  the  neck.  This 


180  A   BATTLE   WITH   A   NATIVE  TRIBE. 

occasioned  a  halt,  and  they  were  about  abandoning  any 
further  attempt  on  the  place ;  but  Mr.  Dowries  soon 
recovered,  and  finding  himself  able  to  walk,  gave  orders 
for  a  charge.  Hitherto  our  party  had  done  nothing.  Not 
one  of  the  enemy  had,  to  their  knowledge,  been  wounded. 
They  scoffed  at  our  men,  and  treated  them  with  the 
utmost  contempt  and  derision.  The  friendly  natives  also 
began  to  think  we  were  not  so  formidable  as  we  pre- 
tended ;  it  became,  therefore,  absolutely  necessary  that 
the  fort  should  be  taken  at  all  hazards.  Our  people  gave 
three  cheers,  and  rushed  on  through  a  shower  of  spears 
and  stones,  which  the  natives  threw  from  behind  their 
strong  barrier,  and  it  was  not  until  our  men  entered  the 
fort  that  they  thought  of  retreating.  Five  were  at  this 
instant  shot  dead  ;  and  one  in  particular,  fought  until 
the  muzzle  of  the  piece  was  presented  to  his  forehead, 
when  the  top  of  his  head  was  entirely  blown  off.  As 
soon  as  this  place  was  taken  all  further  resistance  was  at 
an  end. 

" '  It  was  shocking  to  see  the  manner  the  friendly 
natives  treated  such  as  were  knocked  over  with  a  shot ; 
they  rushed  on  them  with  their  war-clubs  and  soon  dis- 
patched them ;  then  each  seemed  anxious  to  dip  his 
spear  in  the  blood,  which  nothing  could  induce  them  to 
wipe  off — the  spear  from  that  time  bore  the  name  of  the 
dead  warrior,  and  its  value,  in  consequence,  was  greatly 
enhanced. 

"  '  Gattanewa  was  astonished  at  our  victory,  which,  to 
him,  seemed  incredible ;  and  the  number  of  dead  which 
they  had  borne  off  as  trophies  had  far  exceeded  that  of 
any  former  battle  within  his  recollection ;  as  they  fight 
for  weeks,  nay,  for  months  sometimes,  without  killing 
any  on  either  side,  though  many  are,  in  all  their  engage- 
ments, severely  wounded.  The  Tayehs  had,  however,  a 
short  time  before  our  arrival,  lost  one  of  their  priests  of 


A   BATTLE   WITH    A   NATIVE   TRIBE.  181 

the  gre°test  note,  who  had  been  killed  by  ah  ambuscade 
of  the  Happahs ;  and  this  circumstance  had  occasioned  a 
taboo  of  the  strictest  nature  to  be  established,  which  was 
now  in  full  force,  and  continued  as  long  as  we  remained 
on  the  island. 

"'I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  ceremony  of  laying 
on  these  tabooes,  which  are  so  much  respected  by  the 
natives.  They  are,  however,  laid  by  the  priests,  from 
some  religious  motives.  Sometimes  they  are  general, 
and  affect  a  whole  valley,  as  the  present;  sometimes 
they  are  confined  to  a  single  tribe ;  at  others,  to  a  family, 
and  frequently  to  a  single  person.  The  word  taboo  signi- 
fies an  interdiction,  an  embargo,  or  restraint ;  and  the 
restrictions  during  the  period  of  their  existence  may  be 
compared  to  the  Lent  of  Catholics.  They  have  tabooed 
places,  where  they  feast  and  drink  kava  —  tabooed  houses, 
where  dead  bodies  are  deposited,  and  many  of  their  trees, 
and  even  some  of  their  walks  are  tabooed. 

"  'But  to  proceed  — '" 

"  A  good  idea,"  murmured  Eugene,  approvingly. 

Chester  smiled,  and  went  on  : 

" '  The  Tayehs  had  brought  in  the  bodies  of  the  five 
men  killed  in  storming  the  fort.  We  met  with  no  loss 
on  our  side  or  on  that  of  our  allies.  We  had  two 
wounded,  and  one  of  our  natives  had  his  jaw  broken 
with  a  stone.  The  dead  Happahs,  I  was  informed,  were 
lying  in  the  public  square,  where  the  natives  were  rejoic- 
ing over  them.  I  had  been  informed  by  the  whites,  on 
my  arrival,  and  even  by  Wilson,  that  the  natives  of  this 
island  were  cannibals  ;  but,  on  the  strictest  inquiry,  I 
could  not  learn  that  either  of  them  had  seen  them  in  the 
act  of  eating  human  flesh.  In  conversing  with  Gatta- 
newa  on  the  subject,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge 
that  it  was  sometimes  practiced.  He  said  they  sometimes 
ate  their  enemies.  I  found  it  difficult  to  reconcile  this 
8* 


182  A   BATTLE   WITH   A   NATIVE   TRIBE. 

practice  with  the  generosity  and  benevolence  which  were 
leading  traits  in  their  character.  They  are  cleanly  in 
their  persons,  washing  three  or  four  times  -a  day ;  and 
also  in  their  mode  of  cooking,  and  manner  of  eating; 
and  it  was  remarked,  that  no  islander  was  known  to  taste 
of  anything  whatever  until  he  had  first  applied  it  to  his 
nostrils,  and  if  it  was  in  the  slightest  degree  tainted  or 
offensive  to  the  smell,  it  was  always  rejected.  How, 
then,  can  it  be  possible  that  a  people  so  delicate,  living 
in  a  country  abounding  with  hogs,  fruit,  and  a  consider- 
able variety  of  vegetables,  should  prefer  a  loathsome, 
putrid,  human  carcase,  to  the  numerous  delicacies*  their 
valleys  afford  ? 

" '  I  proceeded  to  the  house  of  Gattanewa,  which  I 
found  filled  with  women  making  the  most  dreadful  lam- 
entations, and  surrounded  by  a  large  concourse  of  male 
natives.  On  my  appearance  there  was  a  general  shout 
of  terror ;  all  fixed  their  eyes  on  me  with  looks  of  fear 
and  apprehension.  I  approached  the  wife  of  Gattanewa, 
and  requested  to  know  the  cause  of  this  alarm.  She 
said  now  that  we  had  destroyed  the  Happahs  they  were 
fearful  we  should  turn  on  them.  She  took  hold  of  my 
hand,  which  she  kissed,  and  moistened  with  her  tears ; 
then  placing  it  on  her  head,  knelt  to  kiss  my  feet.  She. 
told  me  they  were  willing  to  be  our  slaves,  to  serve  us, 
that  their  houses,  their  lands,  their  hogs,  and  everything 
belonging  to  them  were  ours ;  but  begged  that  I  would 
have  mercy  on  her,  her  children,  and  her  family,  and  not 
put  them  to  death.  It  seemed  that  they  had  worked 
themselves  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  fear,  and  on  my 
appearance  with  a  sentinel  accompanying  me,  they  could 
see  in  me  nothing  but  the  demon  of  destruction."  I  raised 
the  poor  old  woman  from  her  humble  posture,  and  begged 
her  to  banish  her  groundless  fears ;  that  I  had  no  inten- 
tion of  injuring  any  person  residing  in  the  valley  of  Tieu- 


A   BATTLE   WITH    A    NATIVE   TRIBE.  183 

hoy ;  that  if  the  Happahs  had  drawn  on  themselves  our 
vengeance,  and  felt  our  resentment,  they  had  none  to 
blame  but  themselves.  I  had  offered  them  peace,  but 
they  had  preferred  war ;  I  had  proffered  them  my  friend- 
ship, and  they  had  spurned  it.  That  there  was  no  alter- 
native left  me.  I  had  chastised  them,  and  was  appeased. 
I  then  exhorted  the  wife  of  Gattanewa  to  endeavor  to 
impress  on  the  minds  of  every  person  the  necessity  of 
living  on  friendly  terms  with  us ;  that  we  were  disposed 
to  consider  them  as  brothers ;  that  we  had  come  with 
no  hostile  intentions  toward  them,  and  so  long  as  they 
treated  us  as  friends  we  would  protect  them  against  all 
their  enemies.  The  old  woman  was  all  attention  to  my 
discourse  as  delivered  through  Wilson  the  interpreter ; 
and  I  was  about  proceeding  when  she  requested  me  to 
stop.  She  now  rose  and  commanded  silence  among  the 
multitude,  which  had  considerably  augmented  since  my 
arrival,  and  addressed  them  with  much  grace  and  energy 
in  a  speech  of  about  half  an  hour ;  exhorting  them,  as  I 
understood,  to  conduct  themselves  with  propriety,  and 
explaining  to  them  the  advantages  likely  to  result  from  a 
good  understanding  with  us.  After  she  had  finished, 
she  took  me  affectionately  by  the  hand,  and  reminded  me 
that  I  was  her  husband.'  " 

"  There  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene  hastily,  "  I  think  you 
had  better  stop  there,  Chester.  We  've  heard  enough  for 
to-day." 

"  Why,  what 's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  his  brother,  looking 
up  in  surprise. 

"  He  thinks,"  laughed  Captain  Bradford,  "  that  the  old 
woman  is  disposed  to  take  advantage  of  Porter's  good 
nature,  and  that  she  is  going  to  take  full  possession  of 
him." 

"  Why,"  explained  Chester,  "  she  only  wanted  to  re- 
mind him  that  he  and  her  husband,  Gattanewa,  had 
exchanged  names." 


184  A    BATTLE    WITH    A    NATIVE   TRIBE. 

"  No  matter,"  said  Eugene  emphatically,  "  I  think  we 
had  better  postpone  the  rest  of  the  story  till  another 
day." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Chester,  as  he  closed  the  book  and 
started  to  his  feet,  "  I'm  perfectly  agreeable.  And  as  'the 
steward  is  trying  to  make  us  understand  that  luncheon  is 
ready,  I  think,  on  the  whole,  it  is  a  good  plan.  Come," 
and  the  little  party  descended  to  the  saloon. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  TIEUHOY  — THE  TYPEES. 

IT  was  not  long  after  breakfast  the  next  morning  when 
the  members  of  our  little  party  again  found  them- 
selves comfortably  seated  on  the  quarter-deck  ;  and  it  was 
Eugene  himself  who  speedily  inquired  of  his  brother  if  he 
wasn't  about  ready  to  go  on  with  his  story. 

"Ah!  you  want  to  hear  the  rest  of  it,  do  you?" 
laughed  Chester  good  naturedly. 

"  Of  course  we  do.  Can't  you  see  that  we  are  all  wait- 
ing for  you  ?  " 

"  If  the  wish  is  really  unanimous "  began  Chester. 

"  Of  course  it  is,  I  tell  you,"  broke  in  .his  brother. 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  will  take  up  the  story  where  I  left 
it,"  and," opening  the  book,  he  began: 

"  *  All  alarms  now  were  subsided.  I  inquired  for  Gat- 
tanewa,  and  was  informed  that  he  was  at  the  public 
square  rejoicing  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  but  had  been 
sent  for.  I  proceeded  toward  the  place,  and  met  the  old 
man  hastening  home.  He  had  been  out  from  the  earliest 
dawn,  and  had  not  broken  his  fast.  He  had  in  one  hand 
a  cocoanut  shell,  containing  a  quantity  of  sour  preparation 
of  the  bread-fruit,  which  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  natives, 
and  in  the  other  a  raw  fish,  which  he  occasionally  dipped 
into  it  as  he  ate  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  Wilson  gave 
him  to  understand  that  the  practice  of  eating  raw  fish  was 
disagreeable  to  me,  he  wrapped  the  remainder  in  a  palm 
leaf,  and  handed  it  to  a  youth  to  keep  for  him  until  a 
more  convenient  opportunity  offered  for  indulging  him- 

(185) 


186  THE   VALLEY   OF   TIEUHOY. 

self.  On  my  way  to  the  square  I  observed  several  young 
warriors  hastening  along  toward  the  place  armed  with 
their  spears,  at  the  ends  of  which  were  hung  plantains, 
bread-fruit,  or  cocoanuts,  intended  as  offerings  to  their 
gods ;  and  on  my  approach  to  the  square  I  could  hear 
them  beating  their  drums  and  chanting  their  war  songs. 
I  soon  discovered  five  or  six  hundred  of  them  assembled 
about  the  dead  bodies,  which  were  lying  on  the  ground.' " 
"  Never  mind  the  dead  men,  Chester,"  said  his  brother ; 
"  but  go  on  with  something  of  more  importance." 

"  Very  well,"  was  the  reply.  And  Chester  continued : 
" '  We  had  but  little  opportunity  of  gaining  a  knowledge 
of  the  language  of  these  people  while  we  remained  among 
them  ;  but  from  the  little  we  became  acquainted  with  we 
are  satisfied  that  it  is  not  copious ;  few  words  serve  to 
express  all  they  wish  to  say  ;  and  one  word  has  often- 
times many  significations ;  as,  for  example,  the  word 
motee  signifies  I  thank  you,  I  have  enough,  I  do  not  want 
it,  I  do  not  like  it,  keep  it  yourself,  take  it  away,  etc. 
Mattee  expresses  every  degree  of  injury  which  can  happen 
to  a  person  or  thing,  from  the  slightest  harm  to  the  most 
cruel  death.  Thus,  a  prick  of  the  finger  is  mattee,  to  have 
a  pain  in  any  part  is  mattee ;  mattee  is  to  be  sick,  to  be 
badly  wounded  is  mattee,  and  mattee  is  to  kill  or  be  killed, 
to  be  broken  (when  speaking  of  inanimate  objects),  to  be 
injured  in  any  way,  even  to  be  dirtied  or  soiled  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  word  mattee.  Motakee,  with  slight  varia- 
tion of  the  voice,  signifies  every  degree  of  good,  from  a 
thing  merely  tolerable,  to  an  object  of  the  greatest  excel- 
lence ;  thus,  it  is  so,  so  good,  very  good,  excellent ;  it  signi- 
fies the  qualities  and  disposition  of  persons ;  thus,  they 
are  tolerable,  likely,  handsome,  or  beautiful, — good,  kind, 
benevolent,  generous,  humane.  Keheva,  which  signifies 
bad,  is  as  extensive  in  its  use  as  motak.ee,  and,  by  suitable 
modulations  of  the  voice,  has  meanings  directly  opposite. 


THE   TALLEY   OF   TIEUHOY.  187 

This  is  the  case  with  many  other  words  in  their  language ; 
indeed,  with  all  we  became  acquainted  with.  Kie-kie 
signifies  to  eat;  it  also  signifies  a  troublesome  fellow. 

" '  The  hogs  of  this  island  are  generally  of  a  small  and 
inferior  breed,  but  there  are  many  as  large  and  as  fine  as 
those  of  any  part  of  the  world.  According  to  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  natives,  many  generations  ago,  a  god  named 
Hail  visited  all  the  islands  of  the  group,  and  brought  with 
him  hogs  and  fowls,  which  he  left  among  them.  Haii 
was,  no  doubt,  some  navigator,  who,  near  four  centuries 
ago,  by  their  reckoning,  left  the  aforesaid  animals  among 
the  natives.  Our  accounts  of  voyages  made  into  this  sea 
do  not  extend  so  far  back ;  and,  even  if  they  did,  we 
should  be  at  a  loss  to  know  him  from  the  name  given'to 
him  by  the  natives.  We  found  it  impossible  for  them  to 
pronounce  our  names  distinctly,  even  after  the  utmost 
pains  to  teach  them,  and  the  most  repeated  trials  on  their 
part.  They  gave  me  the  name  of  Opotee,  which  was  the 
nearest  they  could  come  to  Porter.  Mr.  Downes  was 
called  Onou ;  Lieut.  Wilmer  Wooreme,  and  the  name  of 
everyone  else  underwent  an  equal  change.  These  names 
we  were  called  by  and  answered  to  so  long  as  we  remained 
with  them  ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  we  shall  be  so 
called  in  their  traditionary  accounts.  If  there  should  be 
no  other  means  of  handing  our  names  down  to  posterity 
it  is  likely  we  shall  be  as  little  known  to  future  navigators 
as  Haii  is  to  us.  The  natives  call  a  hog  bouarka,  or 
rather  pouarka;  and  it  is  likely  that  they  still  retain  the 
name  nearly  by  which  they  were  first  known  to  them. 
The  Spaniards  call  a  hog  porca,  giving  it  a  sound  very 
little  different  from  that  given  by  the  natives  of  these 
islands  ;  and  as  the  Spaniards  were  the  earliest  navigators 
in  these  seas,  there  is  scarcely  a  doubt  that  they  are  in- 
debted to  one  of  that  nation  for  so  precious  a  gift.' " 

"  That  agrees  with  what  you  told  us  yesterday,  Pro- 
fessor," remarked  Eugene, 


188  THE   VALLEY   OF   TIEUHOY. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  there  is  little  doubt,  I  think, 
that  the  Spaniards  left  them  the  swine ;  and  it  is  no 
wonder  that  they  looked  upon  them  as  gods."  Then 
turning  to  Chester :  "  Well,  my  friend,  what  comes 
next?" 

"  He  refers  to  the  cocoanut  tree,  next,"  said  Chester ; 
"  and  states  that  it  grows  in  great  abundance  in  every 
valley  of  the  island,  and  that  it  is  cultivated  with  much 
care.  He  then  mentions  the  manner  of  gathering  the 
fruit,  and  says,  '  As  the  cocoanuts  become  ripe,  they  are 
carefully  collected  from  the  tree,  which  is  ascended  by 
means  of  a  slip  of  strong  bark,  with  which  they  make 
their  feet  fast  a  little  above  the  ankles,  leaving  them 
about  a  foot  asunder ;  they  then  grasp  the  tree  with  their 
arms,  feet,  and  knees,  and  the  strip  of  bark  resting  on  the 
rough  projections  of  the  bark  of  the  tree,  prevents  them 
from  slipping  down.  In  this  manner,  by  alternately 
shifting  their  feet  and  hands,  they  ascend  with  great 
apparent  ease  and  rapidity  the  highest  tree.' 

"  The  taro,  he  says,  is  a  root  much  resembling  a  yam, 
of  a  pungent  taste,  and  excellent  *vhen  boiled  or  roasted. 
The  sugar-cane  grows  to  an  uncommon  size.  .  The  only 
use  they  make  of  it,  however,  is  to  chew  it  and  swallow 
the  juice. 

"  He  then  mentions  kava,  and  sqys  pretty  much  what 
you  said  yesterday,  Professor." 

"  No  matter ;  let 's  have  it,"  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  Well,  then, '  the  kavaj  he  says, '  is  a  root  possessing 
an  intoxicating  quality,  with  which  the  chiefs  arc  very 
fond  of  indulging  themselves.  They  employ  persons  of  a 
lower  class  to  chew  it  for  them  and  spit  it  into  a  wooden 
bowl ;  after  which  a  small  quantity  of  water  is  mixed 
with  it,  when  the  juice  is  strained  into  a  neatly  polished 
cup,  made  of  a  cocoanut-shcll,  and  passed  round  among 
them.  It  renders  them  very  stupid  and  averse  to  hear- 


THE   VALLEY   OP   TIEUHOY.  189 

ing  any  noise.  It  deprives  them  of  their  appetite,  and 
reduces  them  almost  to  a  state  of  torpor.  It  has  the 
effect  of  making  their  skin  fall  off  in  white  scales ; 
affects  their  nerves,  and  no  doubt  brings  on  a  premature 
old  age.  They  apply  the  word  kava  to  everything  we  eat 
or  drink  of  a  heating  or  pungent  nature,  as  rum  or  wine, 
pepper,  mustard,  and  even  salt.' 


KAVA  BOWL. 
• 

"  He  gives  a  very  good  description  of  the  bread-fruit 
tree,"  said  Chester,  looking  up  inquiringly. 

"  Then  let 's  have  it,  by  all  means,"  exclaimed  his 
brother. 

The  others  joining  in  the  request,   Chester  went  on : 

"  '  The  bread-fruit  tree  of  this  island  grows  with  great 
luxuriance,  in  extensive  groves,  scattered  through  every 
valley.  It  is  of  the  height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  branch- 
ing out  in  a  large  and  spreading  top,  which  affords  a 
beautiful  appearance  and  an  extensive  shade  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun ;  the  trunk  is  about  six  feet  in  circum- 
ference ;  the  lower  branches  about  twelve  feet  from  the 
ground;  the  bark  soft,  and  on  being  in  the  slightest 


190  THE   VALLEY   OF   TIEUHOY. 

degree  wounded  exudes  a  milky  juice,  not  unpleasant  to 
the  taste,  which,  on  being  exposed  to  the  sun,  forms  an 
excellent  bird-lime,  and  is  used  by  the  natives  as  such, 
not  only  for  catching  birds,  but  a  small  kind  of  rat  with 
which  this  island  is  much  infested.  The  leaves  of  this 
tree  are  sixteen  inches  long  and  nine  inches  wide,  deeply 
notched,  somewhat  like  the  fig  leaf.  The  fruit,  when 
ripe,  is  about  the  size  of  a  child's  head,  green,  and  divided 
by  slight  traces  into  innumerable  six-sided  figures.  It  is 
somewhat  elliptical  in  its  shape,  has  a  thin  and  delicate 
skin,  a  large  and  tough  core,  with  remarkably  small  seeds 
situated  in  a  spongy  substance  between  the  core  and  the 
eatable  part,  which  is  next  the  rind.  It  is  eaten  baked, 
boiled,  or  roasted ;  whole,  quartered,  or  cut  in  slices  and 
cooked ;  either  way  was  found  exceedingly  palatable,  was 
greatly  preferred  by  many  to  our  soft  bread,  which  it 
somewhat  resembled  in  taste,  but  was  much  sweeter ;  it 
was  found  also  very  fine  when  cut  into  slices  and  fried  in 
butter  or  lard.  It  keeps  only  three  or  four  days,  when 
gathered  and  hung  up ;  but  the  natives  have  a  method 
of  preserving  it  for  years,  by  baking,  wrapping  it  up  in 
leaves,  and  burying  it  in  the  ground:  in  that  state  it 
becomes  very  sour,  and  is  then  more  highly  esteemed  by 
them  than  any  other  food.  The  bread-fruit  tree  is  every- 
thing to  the  natives  of  these  islands.  The  fruit  serves 
them  and  their  hogs  for  food  throughout  the  year,  and 
affords  large  supplies  to  be  laid  up  for  a  season  of 
scarcity.  The  trees  afford  them  an  agreeable  and 
refreshing  shade ;  the  leaves  are  an  excellent  covering 
for  their  houses ;  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  small  branches 
they  make  cloth ;  the  juice  which  exudes  enables  them 
to  destroy  the  rats  which  infest  them  ;  and  of  the  trunk 
of  tfie  tree  they  form  their  canoes,  many  of  their  houses, 
and  even  their  gods.  Describe  to  one  of  the  natives  of 
Nukahiva  a  country  abounding  in  everything  that  we 


THE    VALLEY   OF   TIEUHOY.  191 

consider  desirable,  and  after  you  are  done  .he  will  ask 
you  if  it  produces  bread-fruit.  A  country  is  nothing  to 
them  without  that  blessing,  and  the  season  for  bread- 
fruit is  the  time  of  joy  and  festivity.  The  season  com- 
mences in  December,  and  lasts  until  September,  when 
the  greatest  abundance  reigns  among  them.' 

"  We  now  come  to  the  treaties  he  made  with  the  Hap- 
pahs  and  other  tribes,  and  an  account  of  his  war  with 
the  Typees  and  their  neighbors." 

"  That 's  it ! "  exclaimed  Eugene  ;  "  that 's  what  we  '  ve 
been  waiting  for.  Go  on,  Chester."  And  the  elder 
continued : 

'"On  the  first  of  November,  Mowattaeeh,  a  chief  of 
the  Happahs,  and  son-in-law  to  Gattanewa,  vcame,  accom- 
panied by  several  others  of  his  tribe,  with  the  white 
handkerchief  which  I  had  sent  them,  to  treat  with  me 
for  peace.  I  received  him  with  mildness,  and  gently 
expostulated  with  them  on  their  imprudence,  in  having 
insisted  on  hostilities  with  me.  They  expressed  the 
utmost  regret  for  their  past  folly,  and  hoped  that  I 
would  allow  them  in  future  to  live  on  the  same  friendly 
terms  with  me  as  Gattanewa  and  his  people,  stating  their 
willingness  to  comply  with  everything  I  should  exact 
from  them  in  reason.  I  informed  them  that  as  I  had 
offered  them  peace  and  they  had  rejected  it,  and  had  put 
me  to  the  trouble  of  chastising  them,  it  was  proper  that 
we  should  receive  some  compensation.  We  were  in  want 
of  hogs  and  fruit,  and  they  had  an  abundance  of  them, 
and  I  wished  them  to  give  me  a  supply,  once  a  week,  for 
my  people,  for  which  they  should  be  compensated  in 
iron  and  such  other  articles  as  would  be  most  useful  to 
them.  Gattanewa  and  many  of  his  tribe  were  present, 
and  appeared  charmed  with  the  terms  offered  to  the 
Happahs;  said  they  would  henceforth  be  brothers,  and 
observing  that  I  had  not  yet  presented  my  hand,  took  it 


192  THE    VALLEY    OF   TIEUHOY. 

affectionately  and  placed  it  in  that  of  Mowattaeeh.  After 
a  short  silence  Mowattaeeh  observed  that  we  must  suffer 
much  from  the  rain  in  our  tents,  as  they  did  not  appear 
capable  of  securing  us  from  the  wet.  "  Yes,"  said  Gat- 
tanewa,  "  and  we  are  bourfd  to  make  the  Hekai "  —  a  title 
which  they  all  gave  me  — "  and  his  people  comfortable 
while  they  remain  with  us.  Let  every  tribe  at  peace 
with  him,  build  a  house  for  their  accommodation,  and 
the  people  of  the  valley  of  Tieuhoy  will  set  them  the 
example  by  building  one  for  the  residence  of  Opotee  — 
Porter."  This  proposal  met  with  general  applause,  and 
the  people  were  immediately  dispatched  to  prepare  mate- 
rials for  erecting  the  fabric  next  day,  at  which  time  the 
Happahs  promised  to  bring  in  their  supply,  and  the  day 
after  to  construct  their  house.  In  the  course  of  the 
day  the  other  chiefs  of  the  Happahs  came  in  with  their 
flags  and  subscribed  to  the  terms  proposed ;  and  in  less 
than  two  days  I  received  envoys  from  every  tribe  on  the 
island,  with  the  exception  only  of  the  warlike  tribes  of 
Typee,  of  the  valley  of  Vieehee  or  Oomi,  and  the  Hate- 
caahcottivohos,  in  the  distant  valley  of  Hannahow ;  the 
first  confiding  in  their  strength,  valor,  and  position ;  the 
others  in  their  distance  and  numbers  for  their  protection. 
The  first  had  always  been  victorious  in  all  their  wars, 
and  the  terror  of  their  enemies ;  the  others  were  their 
firm  allies  ;  neither  had  they  ever  been  driven  ;  they  had 
been  taught  by  their  priests  to  believe  that  they  never 
would  be,  and  it  was  their  constant  boast  that  they  had 
ever  kept  their  valley  free  from  the  incursions  of  an 
enemy. 

" '  All  agreed  to  the  terms  proposed ;  supplies  were 
brought  in  by  the  tribes  in  great  abundance,  and  from 
this  time  for  several  weeks,  we  rioted  in  luxuries  which 
the  island  afforded.  To  the  principal  persons  of  the 
tribes  I  always  presented  a  harpoon,  it  being  to  them  the 


THE   TYPEES.  193 

most  valuable  article  of  iron,  and  to  the  rest  scraps  of 
iron  hoops  were  thrown,  in  which  they  took  much  delight. 

" '  Agreeable  to  the  request  of  the  chiefs  I  laid  down 
the  plan  of  the  village  about  to  be  built;  the  line  on 
which  the  houses  were  to  be  placed  was  already  traced 
by  our  barrier  of  water  casks ;  they  were  to  take  the  form 
of  a  crescent,  were  to  be  built  on  the  outside  of  the 
inclosure,  and  to  be  connected  with  each  other  by  a  wall 
twelve  feet  in  length  and  four  feet  in  height ;  the  houses 
were  to  be  fifty  feet  in  length,  built  in  the  usual  fashion 
of  the  country,  and  of  a  proportioned  width  and  height. 

"  *  On  the  third  of  November,  upward  of  four  thousand 
natives,  from  the  different  tribes,  assembled  at  the  camp 
with  materials  for  building,  and  before  night  they  had 
completed  a  dwelling-house  for  myself  and  another  for 
the  officers,  a  sail-loft,  a  cooper's  shop,  and  a  place  for 
our  sick,  a  bake-house,  a  guard  house,  and  a  shed  for  the 
sentinel  to  walk  under ;  the  whole  were  connected  by  the 
walls  as  above  described.  We  removed  our  barrier  of 
water-casks,  and  took  possession  of  our  delightful  village, 
which  had  been  built  as  if  by  enchantment. 

" '  It  seems  strange  how  a  people  living  under  no  form 
of  government  that  we  could  ever  perceive,  having  no 
chiefs  over  them  who  appear  to  possess  any  authority, 
having  neither  rewards  to  stimulate  them  .to  exertion  nor 
dread  of  punishment  before  them,  should  be  capable  of 
conceiving  and  executing,  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning, 
works  which  astonished  us ;  they  appear  to  act  with  one 
mind,  to  have  the  same  thought,  and  to  be  operated  on 
by  the  same  impulse ;  they  can  be  compared  only  to  the 
beaver,  whose  instinct  teaches  them  to  design  and  execute 
works  which  claim  our  admiration. 

" '  Some  time  after  this  I  sent  a  messenger-  to  the 
Typees  to  know  if  they  wished  to  be  at  peace  with  us. 
In  two  days  he  returned,  and  was  desired  by  the  Typees 


194  THE  TYPEES. 

to  tell  Gattanewa  and  all  the  people  of  the  valley  of 
Tieuhoy  that  they  were  cowards  ;  that  we  had  beat  the 
Happahs  because  the  Happahs  were  cowards ;  that  as  to 
myself  and  my  people,  we  were  white  lizards,  mere  dirt. 
We  were,  said  they,  incapable  of  standing  fatigue,  over- 
come by  the  slightest  heat  and  want  of  water,  and  could 
not  climb  the  mountains  without  islanders  to  assist  us 
and  carry  our  arms ;  and  yet  we  talk  of  chastising  the 
Typees,  a  tribe  which  had  never  been  driven  by  an 
enemy,  and  as  their  gods  informed  them,  were  never  to 
be  driven. 

" '  I  now  inquired  of  Gattanewa  the  number  of  war 
canoes  which  he  could  equip  and  man ;  he  informed  me 
ten,  and  that  each  would  carry  about  thirty  men,  and 
that  the  Happahs  could  equip  an  equal  number  of  equal 
size  ;  he  told  me  it  would  be  six  days  before  they  could 
be  put  together  and  got  into  readiness ;  but  if  I  wished 
it  his  people  should  set  about  it  immediately.  I  directed 
them  to  do  so,  and  dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  Hap- 
pahs directing  them  to  prepare  their  war  canoes  to  be  in 
readiness  to  go  to  war  with  the  Typees,  and  await  my 
further  orders.  I  gave  them  as  well  as  the  Tayehs  to 
understand  that  it  was  my  intention  to  attack  them  both 
by  sea  and  by  land,  and  that  I  should  send  a  large  body 
of  men  in  boats  and  a  ship  to  protect  the  landing  of 
them  and  the  war  canoes,  and  that  the  remainder  of  the 
warriors  of  both  tribes  must  proceed  by  land  to  attack 
them  in  the  part  where  they  were  most  assailable.  I 
now  conceived  the  design  of  constructing  a  fort,  not  only 
as  a  protection  to  our  village  and  the  harbor,  but  as  a 
security  to  the  Tayehs  against  further  incursions.  I  had 
for  some  time  past  intended  leaving  my  prizes  here  as 
the  most  suitable  place  to  lay  them  up,  and  this  fort 
would  give  them  additional  security. 

"  *  Assisted  by  the  natives  I  began  the  construction  of 


THE  TYPEES.  195 

a  fort  which  was  completed  on  the  14th;  all  worked  with 
zeal,  and  as  the  friendly  tribes  were  daily  coming  in  with 
presents,  all  joined  in  the  labor.  The  chiefs  requested 
that  they  might  be  admitted  on  the  same  footing  as  the 
Tayehs,  and  everything  promised  harmony  between  us ; 
they  would  frequently  speak  of  the  war  with  the  Typees, 
and  I  informed  them  I  only  waited  for  their  war  canoes 
to  be  put  together  and  launched. 

"'On  the  19th  of  November,  the  American  flag  was 
displayed  in  our  fort,  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  was 
fired  from  the  artillery  mounted  there,  and  returned  by 
the  shipping  in  the  harbor.  The  island  was  taken  pos- 
session of  for  the  United  States,  and  called  Madison's 
Island ;  the  fort,  Fort  Madison ;  the  village,  Madison- 
ville,  and  the  bay,  Massachusetts  Bay. 

" '  A  few  days  after  this  I  took  a  party  of  sailors  and* 
marines  in  boats  and  went  some  eight  miles  from  our 
anchorage  to  examine  a  fine  bay.  We  landed  near  a 
village  at  the  mouth  of  a  beautiful  rivulet.  On  landing, 
many  of  the  natives  came  to  the  beach,  who  seemed 
disposed  to  treat  us  in  the  most  friendly  manner ;  but 
apprehensive  of  being  troubled  by  their  numbers,  I  drew 
a  line  in  the  sand  at  some  distance  about  the  boats,  and 
informed  them  they  were  tabooed,  and  as  an  additional 
security  to  us,  I  caused  all  the  arms  to  be  loaded  and 
ready  for  service  on  the  first  alarm,  and  sentinels  placed 
over  them.  Shortly  after  this  the  chief  came  down  to 
invite  me  to  the  public  square,  the  general  place  in  all 
their  villages  for  the  reception  of  strangers.  Soon  after 
our  arrival  the  women  and  girls  assembled  from  all 
quarters  of  the  town,  dressed  out  in  all  their  finery  to 
meet  us ;  they  were  here  free  from  all  the  restraints 
imposed  by  the  tabooes,  and  were  abundantly  anointed 
with  the  oil  of  the  cocoanut,  and  their  skins  well  be- 
daubed with  red  and  yellow  paint,  as  was  their  clothing ; 


196  THE   TYPEES. 

some  were  also  smeared  with  greenish  paint,  the  object 
of  which  I  found,  on  inquiry,  was  to  preserve  the  fairness 
and  beauty  of  the  skin ;  and  indeed  of  this  they  seemed 
to  take  particular  pains,  every  one  of  them  being  fur- 
nished with  a  kind  of  umbrella,  formed  of  a  bunch  of 
palm  leaves,  to  shield  them  from  the  effects  of  the  sun ; 
their  care  and  attention  in  this  particular  had  rendered 
them  far  superior  in  point  of  beauty  to  the  females  of 
our  valley,  and  the  difference  was  so  striking  as  to  make 
them  appear  a  distinct  people.  Some  of  the  girls,  proba- 
bly in  compliment  to  us,  or  to  render  themselves  more 
attractive  in  our  eyes,  cleansed  themselves  (by  washing 
in  the  stream)  of  their  oil  and  paint,  threw  aside  their 
bedaubed  clothing,  and  soon  appeared  neatly  clad  in  cloth 
of  the  purest  white  ;  and  I  can  say,  without  exaggeration, 
that  I  never  have  seen  women  more  perfectly  beautiful  in 
form,  features,  and  complexion,  or  that  had  playful  inno- 
cence more  strongly  marked  on  their  countenances  or 
in  their  manners ;  all  seemed  perfectly  easy  and  even 
graceful,  and  all  strove  by  their  winning  attentions,  who 
should  render  themselves  most  pleasing  to  us.  The  girls 
formed  a  circle  round  us,  and  those  of  a  more  advanced 
age  were  seated  outside  of  them ;  the  men  showed  us 
every  kind  attention,  and  strove  to  convince  us  of  their 
friendship  by  bringing  us  cocoanuts,  and  cooking  for  us 
hogs  and  bread-fruit  after  their  manner,  which  were 
found  excellent. 

" '  A  daughter  of  Gattanewa  was  among  them  ;  she 
was  the  wife  of  the  chief  who  had  met  us  on  our  arrival ; 
she  seemed  no  less  friendly  disposed  than  her  husband, 
and  embraced  me  as  her  father,  reminding  me  frequently 
that  from  the  exchange  of  names  I  had  become  such ; 
from  her  filial  affection  she  bestowed  on  me  a  bountiful 
supply  of  the  red  and  yellow  paint  with  which  she  was 
covered,  and  insisted  on  my  sending  away  my  boats  and 


THE  TYPEES.  197 

people  and  remaining  with  them  until  the  next  day,  and 
no  excuse  that  I  could  offer  for  my  return  to  the  ship 
would  satisfy  her ;  they  all  joined  in  her  solicitations, 
jmd,  as  an  inducement  for  me  to  remain,  promised  me 
the  choicest  mats  to  sleep  on,  and  the  handsomest  girls 
in  the  village  to  sing  me  to  sleep.  After  our  repast  all 
the  women  joined  in  a  song,  which  was  accompanied  by 
the  clapping  of  hands ;  it  lasted  near  half  an  hour,  and 
was  not  unmusical.  I  inquired  the  subject  of  it,  and  was 
informed  by  Wilson  that  it  was  the  history  of  the  love  of 
a  young  man  and  a  young  woman  of  their  valley.  They 
sang  their  mutual  attachment,  and  the  praises  of  their 
beauty  ;  described  with  raptures  the  handsome  beads  and 
whale's  teeth  earrings  with  which  she  was  bedecked,  and 
the  large  whale's  tooth  which  hung  from  his  neck.  They 
afterwards  joined  in  a  short  song  which  they  appeared  to 
compose  as  they  sung,  in  which  I  could  plainly  distin- 
guish the  words  Opotee,  tie-ties,  peepees,  etc.  (Porter, 
presents,  beads,  etc.),  after  which  they  strove  in  various 
ways  who  should  most  amuse  us,  the  men  in  dancing, 
the  girls  in  playing  scratch  cradle  (an  amusement  well 
known  in  America),  at  which  they  are  more  dextrous 
than  any  others  I  ever  met  with. 

" '  Our  time  passed  rapidly  with  these  kind  people,  and 
the  evening  approached  before  we  were  aware  of  it.  It 
became  necessary  to  hasten  to  the  ship,  and  we  bade 
them  farewell,  with  a  promise  that  we  should  shortly 
return  and  bring  with  us  a  large  supply  of  peepees  and 
other  tie-ties,  so  much  desired  by  them. 

" '  On  the  27th  of  November  I  informed  the  Tayehs 
and  Happahs  that  I  should  next  day  go  to  war  with  the 
Typees,  agreeable  to  my  original  plan.  The  Essex  Junior 
sailed  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  proceeded  next  morning,  at 
three  o'clock,  with  five  boats,  accompanied  by  ten  war 
canoes,  blowing  their  conches  as  a  signal  by  which  they 
9 


198  THE   TYPEES. 

could  keep  together.  We  arrived  at  the  Typee  landing 
at  sunrise,  and  were  joined  by  ten  war  canoes  from  the 
Happahs ;  the  Essex  Junior  soon  after  arrived  and 
anchored.  The  tops  of  all  the  neighboring  mountains 
were  covered  with  the  Tayeh  and  Happah  warriors, 
armed  with  their  spears,  clubs,  and  slings ;  the  beach 
was  covered  with  the  warriors  who  came  with  the  canoes, 
and  who  joined  us  from  the  hills ;  our  force  did  not 
amount  to  a  less  number  than  five  thousand  men.  I  had 
brought  with  me  one  of  those  whom  I  had  intended  to 
employ  as  ambassadors ;  he  had  intermarried  with  the 
Typees  and  was  privileged  to  go  among  them ;  I  fur- 
nished him  with  a  white  flag  and  sent  him  to  inform  the 
Typees  that  I  had  come  to  offer  them  peace,  but  was 
prepared  for  war ;  that  I  only  required  that  they  should 
submit  to  the  same  terms  as  those  entered  into  by  the 
other  tribes,  and  that  terms  of  friendship  would  be  much 
more  pleasing  to  me  than  any  satisfaction  I  expected  to 
derive  from  chastising  them.  In  a  few  minutes  after 
the  departure  of  my  messenger  he  came  running  back, 
the  picture  of  terror,  and  informed  me  he  had  met  in  the 
bushes  an  ambuscade  of  Typees,  who,  regardless  of  his 
flag  of  truce,  which  he  displayed  to  them,  had  driven  him 
back  with  blows,  and  had  threatened  to  put  him  to  death 
if  he  again  ventured  among  them;  and  in  an  instant 
afterward  we  had  a  confirmation  of  his  statement  in 
a  shower  of  stones  which  came  from  the  bushes.  To 
remain  still  would  have  proved  fatal  to  us ;  to  have 
retreated  would  have  convinced  them  of  our  fears  and 
our  incapacity  to  injure  them ;  our  only  safety  was  in 
advancing  and  endeavoring  to  clear  the  thicket,  which  I 
had  been  informed  was  of  no  great  extent. 

"'We  advanced  a  mile  or  more  when  we  came  to  a 
small  opening  on  the  bank  of  a  river,  from  the  thicket 
on  the  opposite  side  of  which  we  were  assailed  with  a 


THE  TYPEES.  199 

shower  of  stones,  when  Lieutenant  Downes  received  a 
blow  which  shattered  the  bone  of  his  left  leg,  and  he  fell. 
We  had  left  parties  in  ambush  in  our  rear,  which  we 
had  not  been  able  to  dislodge,  and  to  trust  him  to  the 
natives  alone  to  take  back  was  hazarding  too  much. 
The  natives  began  to  leave  us  ;  all  depended  on  our  own 
exertions,  and  no  time  was  to  be  lost  in  deliberation.  I 
therefore  directed  Mr..  Shaw  with  four  men  to  escort 
Lieutenant  Downes  to  the  beach ;  this  with  the  party  I 
had  left  for  the  protection  of  the  boats  reduced  my  num- 
ber to  twenty-four  men.  As  we  continued  our  march 
the  number  of  our  allies  became  reduced,  and  even  the 
brave  Mouina,  the  first  to  expose  himself,  began  to  hang 
back  ;  while  he  kept  in  advance  he  had,  by  the  quickness 
of  his  sight,  which  was  astonishing,  put  us  on  our  guard 
as  the  stones  and  spears  came,  and  enabled  us  to  elude 
them,  but  now  they  came  too  thick  even  for  him  to 
withstand. 

" '  We  soon  came  to  the  place  for  fording  the  river ;  in 
the  thick  bushes  of  the  opposite  banks  of  which  the 
Typees,  who  were  here  very  numerous,  made  a  bold 
stand,  and  showered  on  us  their  spears  and  other  mis- 
siles. We  endeavored  in  vain  to  clear  the  bushes  of  the 
opposite  banks  with  our  musketry.  The  stones  and 
spears  flew  with  augmented  numbers.  Finding  that  we 
could  not  dislodge  them,  I  directed  a  volley  to  be  fired, 
three  cheers  to  be  given,  and  to  dash  across  the  river. 
We  soon  gained  the  opposite  bank  and  continued  our 
march,  rendered  still  more  difficult  by  the  underwood, 
which  was  here  interlaced  to  that  degree  as  to  make  it 
necessary  sometimes  to  crawl  on  our  hands  and  knees  to 
get  along.  We  were  harassed  as  usual  by  the  Typees  for 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  through  a  thicket  which,  at 
almost  any  other  time,  I  should  have  considered  impass- 
able. On  emerging  from  the  swamp  we  felt  new  life  and 


200  THE   TYPEES. 

spirits ;  but  this  joy  was  of  short  duration,  for  on  casting 
up  our  eyes,  we  perceived  a  strong  and  extensive  wall 
of  seven  feet  in  height,  raised  on  an  eminence  crossing 
our  road,  and  flanked  on  each  side  by  an  impenetrable 
thicket,  and  in  an  instant  afterwards  were  assailed  by  a 
shower  of  stones,  accompanied  by  the  most  horrid  yells. 
"  *  Finding  we  could  not  dislodge  them,  I  gave  orders 
for  pushing  on  and  endeavoring  to  take  it  by  storm  ;  but 
some  of  my  men  had  by  this  time  expended  all  their 
cartridges,  and  there  were  few  who  had  more  than  three 
or  four  remaining.  This  discouraging  news  threw  a 
damp  on  the  spirits  of  the  whole  party ;  without  ammu- 
nition our  muskets  were  rendered  inferior  to  the  weapons 
of  the  Typees,  and  if  we  could  not  advance,  there  could 
be  no  doubt  we  should  be  under  the  necessity  of  fighting 
our  way  back  ;  and  to  attempt  this  with  our  few  remain- 
ing cartridges,  would  be  hazarding  too  much.  Our  only 
safety  now  depended  on  holding  our  ground  until  we 
could  procure  a  fresh  supply  of  ammunition,  and  in 
reserving  the  few  charges  on  hand  until  it  could  be 
brought  to  us.  I  mentioned  my  intention  to  my  people, 
exhorted  them  to  save  their  ammunition  as  much  as 
possible,  and  dispatched  Lieutenant  Gamble  with  a 
detachment  of  four  men  to  the  beach,  there  to  take 
a  boat  and  proceed  to  the  Essex  Junior  for  a  fresh 
supply.  My  number  was  now  reduced  to  nineteen  men  ; 
there  was  no  officer  but  myself;  the  natives  had  all 
deserted  me  except  Mouina;  and  to  add  to  our  critical 
and  dangerous  situation,  three  of  the  men  remaining 
with  me  were  knocked  down  with  stones.  Mouina 
begged  me  to  retreat,  crying  Mattee!  mattee!  The 
wounded  entreated  me  to  permit  the  others  to  carry 
them  to  the  beach,  but  I  had  none  to  spare  to  accompany 
them.  I  saw  no  hopes  of  succeeding  against  the  natives, 
so  long  as  they  kept  their  stronghold ;  and  determined 


THE   TYPEES.  201 

to  endeavor  to  draw  them  out  by  a  feint  retreat,  and  by 
this  means  to  gain  some  advantage.  For  to  return 
without  gaining  some  advantage  would,  I  believed,  have 
rendered  an  attack  from  the  Happahs  certain.  I  com- 
municated my  intentions ;  directed  the  wounded  to  be 
taken  care  of ;  gave  orders  for  all  to  run  until  we  were 
concealed  by  the  bushes,  and  then  halt.  We  retreated 
for  a  few  paces,  and  in  an  instant  the  Typees  rushed  on 
us  with  hideous  yells.  The  first  and  second  which 
advanced  were  killed  at  the  distance  of  a  few  paces,  and 
those  who  attempted  to  carry  them  off  were  wrounded. 
This  checked  them,  they  abandoned  their  dead  and  pre- 
cipitately retreated  to  their  fort.  Not  a  moment  was 
now  to  be  lost  in  gaining  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  terror  they  were  thrown  into, 
we  marched  off  with  our  wounded.  Scarcely  had  we 
crossed  the  river  before  we  were  attacked  with  stones ; 
but  here  they  halted,  and  we  returned  to  the  beach 
much  fatigued  and  harassed  with  marching  and  fighting, 
and  with  no  contemptible  opinion  of  the  enemy  we  had 
encountered  or  the  difficulties  we  should  have  to  sur- 
mount in  conquering  them. 

" '  On  my  arrival  I  found  the  boat  which  had  been 
missing,  together  with  a  reenforcement  of  men  from  the 
Essex  Junior,  and  a  supply  of  ammunition.  I  was  de- 
sirous of  sounding  the  Typees  before  I  proceeded  to 
further  extremities,  as  also  to  impress  our  allies  with  the 
idea  that  we  could  carry  all  before  us.  They  told  my 
messenger  to  tell  me  that  they  had  killed  my  chief 
warrior  —  for  such  they  supposed  Mr.  Downes  to  be  — 
that  they  had  wounded  several  of  my  people,  and  com- 
pelled us  to  retreat.  They  knew  their  strength  and  the 
numbers  they  could  oppose ;  and  held  our  bouhies  in 
more  contempt  than  ever,  they  frequently  missed  fire, 
rarely  killed,  and  the  wounds  they '  occasioned  were  not 


202  THE    TYPEES. 

as  painful  as  those  of  a  spear  or  stone  ;  and,  they  added, 
they  knew  they  would  prove  perfectly  useless  to  us  should 
it  come  on  to  rain.  They  dared  us  to  renew  the  contest, 
and  assured  us  they  would  not  retreat  beyond  where  we 
had  left  them. 

" '  Overcome  with  fatigue  and  discouraged  by  the  for- 
midable appearance  of  their  fortress,  my  men  also  fa- 
tigued and  disheartened  from  the  number  of  the  wounded, 
I  determined  to  leave  them  for  the  present,  but  meditated 
a  severe  punishment  for  them.  The  Happahs  had  now 
descended  the  hills  with  their  arms ;  the  Shouemes  ap- 
peared on  the  other  side,  and  "  the  Typees  have  driven 
the  white  men,"  was  the  constant  topic  of  conversation. 
We  were  still  but  a  handful  and  were  surrounded  by 
several  thousand  natives ;  and  although  they  professed 
friendship,  1  did  not  feel  safe.  I  therefore  directed  every- 
body to  embark,  and  proceed  to  the  Essex  Junior,  anxious 
to  know  the  state  of  Lieutenant  Downes. 

" '  The  next  day  I  determined  to  proceed  with  a  force 
which  I  believed  they  could  not  resist,  and  selected  two 
hundred  men  from  the  Essex,  the  Essex  Junior,  and  from 
the  prizes.' " 

"  That 's  what  he  ought  to  have  done  in  the  first  place," 
commented  Eugene. 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  but  those  Ty- 
pees were  brave  fellows." 

"  You  are  right,"  assented  Eugene  ;  "  but  I  hope  the 
Commodore  did  n't  make  another  mess  of  it.  Go  on, 
Chester,"  and  his  brother  continued  : 

"'In  the  evening  I  caused  the  party  to  be  sent  on 
shore  and  determined  to  go  by  land.  We  had  a  fine 
moonlight  night,  and  I  hoped  to  be  down  in  the  Typec 
valley  long  before  daylight,  and  to  take  them  by  surprise. 
I  directed  the  party  sent  in  advance  to  halt  as  soon  as 
they  had  gained  the  top  of  the  mountain  until  I  came 


THE>  TYPEES.  203 

up  with  the  main  body.  There  I  intended  encamping 
for  the  night,  should  our  men  not  be  able  to  stand  the 
fatigue  of  a  longer  march.  Several  gave  out  before  we 
reached  the  summit,  which  we  did  in  about  three  hours, 
with  great  difficulty  ;  but  after  resting  a  short  time,  and 
finding  ourselves  refreshed,  the  moon  shining  out  bright- 
ly, and  our  guides  informing  us  (though  very  incorrectly) 
that  we  were  not  more  than  six  miles  from  the  enemy, 
we  again  marched.  Several  natives  had  joined  us,  but  I 
had  imposed  silence  on  them,  as  we  were  under  the 
necessity  of  passing  a  Happah  village,  and  I  was  fearful 
of  their  discovering  us,  and  giving  intelligence  to  the 
Typees.  Not  a  whisper  was  heard  from  one  end  of  the 
line  to  the  other ;  our  guides  marched  in  front,  and  we 
followed  in  silence  up  and  down  the  steep  sides  of 
rocks  and  mountains,  through  rivulets,  thickets,  and  reed- 
brakes,^  and  by  the  sides  of  precipices  which  sometimes 
caused  us  to  shudder.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  could  hear 
the  drums  beating  in  the  Typee  valley  accompanied  by 
loud  singing,  and  the  number  of  lights  in  different  parts 
of  it  induced  me  to  believe  they  were  rejoicing.  I  in- 
quired the  cause,  and  was  informed  by  the  natives  that 
they  were  celebrating  the  victory  they  had  obtained  over 
us,  and  calling  on  their  gods  to  give  them  rain  in  order 
that  it  might  render  our  bouhies  useless.  We  soon 
arrived  at  the  pathway  leading  from  the  top  of  the 
mountain  into  the  valley  ;  but  the  natives  told  us  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  descend  it  without  daylight ;  that 
the  mountain  was  almost  perpendicular,  and  that  in  many 
places  we  should  be  under  the  necessity  of  lowering  our- 
selves down  with  great  caution,  and  that  it  would  be  even 
necessary  for  them  to  assist  us  in  the  day-time  to  enable 
us  to  get  down  with  safety.  I  concluded  that  it  would 
be  most  advisable  to  wait  for  daylight  before  we  attempted 
to  descend.  We  were  in  possession  of  the  pathway  to 


204  THE   TYPEES. 

the  valley,  and  could  prevent  the  Happahs  from  giving 
them  any  intelligence  of  us  ;  we  were  on  a  narrow  ridge, 
running  between  the  valleys  of  the  two  tribes,  and  well 
situated  to  guard  against  surprise  and  to  defend  ourselves 
from  an  attack  from  either ;  and  what  added  to  the  con- 
venience of  our  situation,  we  had  a  stream  of  water  not 
far  distant. 

" '  After  placing  guards  we  laid  down  on  our  arms.  I 
had  fallen  into  a  doze,  when  a  native  came  to  inform  me 
that  it  was  coming  on  to  rain  very  hard,  and  as  he  ex- 
pressed himself,  would  mattee !  mattee !  bouhie.  This 
appearance  of  rain  caused  loud  shouts  of  joy  in  the  Ty- 
pee  valley,  and  drums  were  beating  in  every  quarter.  I 
cautioned  my  men  about  taking  care  of  their  arms  and 
ammunition ;  but  from  the  violence  of  the  rain,  which 
soon  poured  down  in  torrents,  I  had  little  hopes  that  a 
musket  would  be  kept  dry  or  a  cartridge  saved.  Never 
in  the  course  of  my  life,  did  I  spend  a  more  anxious  or 
disagreeable  night,  and  I  believe  there  were  few  with 
me  who  had  ever  seen  its  equal.  A  cold  and  piercing 
wind  accompanied  the  deluge,  for  I  .can  call  it  nothing 
else,  and  chilled  us  to  the  very  heart ;  without  room  to 
keep  ourselves  warm  by  moving  about,  fearful  of  stirring, 
lest  we  might  be  precipitated  into  eternity  down  the  steep 
sides  of  the  mountains,  for  the  ridge  had  now  become 
so  slippery  we  could  scarcely  keep  our  feet, — we  all  anx- 
iously looked  for  morning,  and  the  first  dawn  of  day, 
although  the  wind  and  rain  still  continued,  was  a  cheer- 
ing sight  to  us,  notwithstanding  our  apprehensions  for 
the  fate  of  the  ammunition  and  the  condition  of  our 
muskets.  We  were  all  as  perfectly  wet  as  though  we 
had  been  under  water  the  whole  time,  and  we  scarcely 
entertained  a  hope  that  a  single  cartridge  or  musket  had 
escaped.  The  natives  kept  exclaiming  that  our  muskets 
were  spoiled,  and  anxiously  wished  us  to  retreat  in  time ; 


THE   TYPEES.  205 

but  notwithstanding  my  fears  on  the  subject,  F endeavored 
to  impress  them  with  a  belief  that  water  could  do  them 
no  injury.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  I  went  among 
my  men  and  inquired  into  the  state  of  their  arms  and 
ammunition.  The  first  had  escaped  better  than  I  had 
any  reason  to  hope ;  but  of  the  latter  more  than  one-half 
was  wet  and  unfit  for  service.'  " 

"  There,  Chester,"  exclaimed  his  brother,  abruptly, 
"  pass  the  book  to  me ;  it's  high  time  for  you  to  take  a 
rest." 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  do  so,"  replied  the  other,  as  he 
surrendered  the  volume,  and  Eugene,  having  found  the 
place,  prepared  to  read. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  WAR  WITH  THE  TYPEES. 

r~M  HE  Happah  village,'  began  Eugene,  '  lay  on  one 
I  side  of  the  mountain,  as  I  before  observed,  the 
Typee  on  the  other,  and  when  it  was  light  enough  to  see 
down  into  the  valley  of  the  latter  we  were  astonished  at 
the  greatness  of  the  height  we  were  elevated  above  them, 
and  the  steepness  of  the  mountain  by  which  we  should 
have  to  descend  to  get  to  them.  A  narrow  pathway 
pointed  out  the  track,  but  it  was  soon  lost  among  the 
cliffs.  The  natives  informed  me  .that  in  the  present 
slippery  state  of  the  mountain  no  one  could  descend,  and 
as  our  men  were  much  harassed  with  fatigue,  overcome 
with  hunger,  shivering  and  uncomfortable,  I  determined 
to  take  up  my  quarters  in  the  Happah  village  until  next 
day  to  enable  us  to  refresh,  and  I  hoped  by  that  time  the 
weather  would  prove  more  favorable.  The  chief  soon 
arrived,  and  I  communicated  to  him  my  intentions,  direct- 
ing him  to  send  down  and  have  houses  provided  for  us, 
as  also  hogs  and  fruit,  all  of  which  he  promised  should 
be  done.  Before  I  left  the  hill  I  determined,  by  firing  a 
volley,  to  show  the  natives  that  our  muskets  had  not 
received  as  much  injury  as  they  had  expected,  as  I  be- 
lieved, under  their  impressions  at  that  moment,  the  Hap- 
pahs  would  not  have  hesitated  in  making  an  attack  on 
us,  and  to  avoid  any  difficulties  with  them  I  thought  it 
best  to  convince  them  we  were  still  formidable.  I  had 
other  motives  also  for  firing.  The  Tayehs  and  Happahs,  I 
knew,  would  accompany  us  into  the  Typee  valley ;  and 

(206) 


THE  WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  207 

as  I  had  put  off  our  descent  until  the  next'  day,  I  con- 
cluded that  it  would  be  best  to  give  them  timely  notice 
of  our  approach,  that  they  might  be  enabled  to  remove 
their  women  and  children,  their  hogs,  and  most  valuable 
effects;  for  although  I  felt  desirous  of  chastising  them 
for  their  conduct,  I  wished  to  prevent  the  innocent  from 
suffering,  or  the  pillage  and  destruction  of  their  prop- 
erty by  the  natives  who  accompanied  us.  I  accordingly 
directed  my  men  to  assemble  on  the  ridge  and  to  fire  a 
volley ;  the  Typees  had  not  until  then  seen  us,  nor  had 
they  the  least  suspicion  of  our  being  there.  As  soon  as 
they  heard  the  report  of  our  muskets,  and  discovered  our 
numbers,  which,  with  the  multitude  of  natives  of  both 
tribes  who  had  now  assembled,  was  very  great,  they 
shouted,  beat  their  drums,  and  blew  their  war  conches 
from  one  end  of  the  valley  to  the  other ;  and  what  with 
the  squeeling  of  the  hogs  —  which  they  now  began  to 
catch,  —  the  screaming  of  the  women  arid  children,  and 
the  yelling  of  the  men,  the  din  was  horrible. 

" '  After  firing  our  volley,  which  went  off  better  than 
I  expected,  we  descended,  with  great  difficulty,  into  the 
village  of  the  Happahs,  and  were  shown  into  the  public 
square.  Around  this  place  were  several  vacant  houses 
which  had,  to  all  appearance,  been  vacated  on  our  account. 
In  these  I  quartered  my  officers  and  men,  assigning  to 
each  ship's  crew  their  abode.  The  Happahs  assembled 
about  us,  armed  with  their  clubs  and  spears;  and  the 
women,  who  had  at  first  crowded  round  us,  now  began  to 
abandon  us.  Everything  bore  the  appearance  of  a  hostile 
disposition  on  the  part  of  the  Happahs ;  our  friends,  the 
Tayehs,  cautioned  us  to  be  on  our  guard.  I  directed 
everyone  to  keep  their  arms  in  their  hands,  ready  to  as- 
semble at  a  moment's  warning.  I  now  sent  for  their 
chief  and  requested  to  know  if  they  were  hostilely  dis- 
posed. I  told  him  it  was  necessary  we  should  have  some- 


208  THE   WAR   WITH    THE   TYPEES. 

thing  to  eat,  and  that  I  expected  his  people  to  bring  us 
hogs  and  fruit,  and  if  they  did  not  do  so  I  should  be  un- 
der the  necessity  of  sending  out  parties  to  shoot  the  former 
and  to  cut  down  their  fruit  trees,  as  ou*  people  were  too 
much  fatigued  to  climb  them.  I  also  directed  that  they 
should  lay  by  their  spears  and  clubs.  No  notice  being 
taken  of  these  demands,  I  caused  many  of  their  spears 
and  clubs  to  be  taken  from  them  and  broken,  and  sent 
parties  out  to  shoot  hogs,  while  others  were  employed  in 
cutting  down  cocoanut  and  banana  trees,  until  we  had  a 
sufficient  supply. 

" '  The  chiefs  and  the  people  of  the  Happah  tribe  now 
became  intimidated  and  brought  the  baked  hogs  in  greater 
abundance  than  were  required ;  friendship  was  re-estab- 
lished, and  the  women  returned.  When  night  approached, 
proper  lookouts  were  placed,  and  fires  made  before  each 
house.  Those  of  the  tribe  of  Tayeh  remained  with  us, 
the  Happahs  retired.  All  not  on  guard  devoted  them- 
selves to  sleep,  and  at  daylight  next  morning  we  equally 
divided  our  ammunition,  and  the  line  of  march  was 
formed.  All  had  put  their  arms  in  a  good  state  for  ser- 
vice, and  all  were  fresh  and  vigorous ;  each  being  sup- 
plied with  a  small  quantity  of  provisions  for  the  day. 

"  *  On  ascending  the  ridge,  where  we  had  passed  such  a 
disagreeable  night,  we  halted  to  take  breath,  and  view,  for 
a  few  minutes,  this  delightful  valley,  which  was  soon  to 
become  a  scene  of  desolation.  From  the  hill  we  had  a 
distant  view  of  every  part,  and  all  appeared  equally  de- 
lightful. The  valley  was  about  nine  miles  in  length,  and 
three  or  four  in  breadth,  surrounded  on  every  part,  except 
the  beach  where  we  formerly  landed,  by  lofty  mountains ; 
the  upper  part  was  bounded  by  a  precipice  of  many  hun- 
dred feet  in  height,  from  the  top  of  which  a  handsome 
sheet  of  water  was  precipitated,  and  formed  a  beautiful 
river,  which  ran  meandering  through  the  valley  and  dis- 


THE    WAR   WITH    THE   TYPEES.  209 

charged  itself  at  the  beach.  Villages  were  scattered  here 
and  there ;  the  bread-fruit  and  cocoanut  trees  flourished 
luxuriantly  and  in  abundance ;  plantations  laid  out  in 
good  order,  inclosed  with  stone  walls,  were  in  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  everything  bespoke  industry,  abund- 
ance, and  happiness  —  never  in  my  life  did  I  witness  a 
more  delightful  scene,  or  experience  more  repugnance 
than  I  now  felt  for  the  necessity  which  compelled  me  to 
punish  a  happy  and  heroic  people. 

" '  A  large  assemblage  of  Typee  warriors  were  posted 
on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  river  (which  glided  near  the 
foot  of  the  mountain)  and  dared  us  to  descend.  In  their 
rear  was  a  fortified  village,  secured  by  strong  stone  walls ; 
drums  were  beating  and  war  conches  were  sounding  in 
several  parts,  and  we  soon  found  they  were  disposed  to 
make  every  effort  to  oppose  us.  I  gave  orders  to  descend  ; 
Mouina  offered  himself  as  our  guide,  and  I  directed  him 
to  lead  us  to  their  principal  village ;  but  finding  the 
fatigue  of  going  down  the  mountain  greater  than  I  ex- 
pected, I  gave  orders  to  halt  before  crossing  the  river,  to 
give  time  for  the  rear  to  close,  it  having  become  much 
scattered,  and  that  all  might  rest.  As  soon  as  we  reached 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  we  were  annoyed  by  a  shower  of 
stones  from  the  bushes,  and  from  behind  the  stone  walls ; 
but  as  we  were  also  enabled  to  shelter  ourselves  behind 
others,  and  being  short  of  ammunition,  I  would  not  per- 
mit any  person  to  fire.  After  resting  a  few  minutes,  I 
directed  the  scouting  parties  to  gain  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  river,  and  quickly  followed  with  the  main  body. 

"  *  We  were  greatly  annoyed  by  stones ;  but  before  all 
had  crossed,  the  fortified  village  was  taken  without  any 
loss  on  our  side.  Their  chief  warrior  and  another  were 
killed,  and  several  were  wounded.  They  retreated  only 
to  stone  walls  situated  on  higher  grounds,  where  they 
continued  to  sling  their  stones  and  throw  their  spears. 


210 


THE   WAR   WITH    THE    TYPEES. 


Three  of  my  men  were  wounded,  and  many  of  the  Typees 
killed  before  we  dislodged  them ;  parties  were  sent  out 
in  different  directions  to  scour  the  woods,  and  another 


IfflMlii!!!; 


fort  was  taken  after  some  resistance ;  hut  the  party, 
overpowered  by  numbers,  was  compelled  to  retreat  to 
the  main  body  after  keeping  possession  of  it  for  half  an 


THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  211 

hour.  We  were  waiting  in  the  fort  first  taken  for  the 
return  of  our  scouting  parties  —  a  multitude  of  Tayehs 
and  H  appahs  were  with  us,  and  many  were  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village  seeking  for  plunder:  Lieutenant 
M'Knight  had  driven  a  party  from  a  strong  wall  on  the. 
high  ground,  and  had  possession  of  it,  —  when  a  large 
party  of  Typees,  which  had  been  lying  in  ambush,  rushed 
by  his  fire,  and  darted  into  the  fort  with  their  spears. 
The  Tayehs  and  Happahs  all  ran,  the  Typees  approached 
within  pistol  shot,  but  on  the  first  fire  retreated  pre- 
cipitately, crossing  the  fire  of  M'Knight's  party,  and 
although  none  fell,  we  had  reason  to  believe  that  many 
were  wounded.  The  spears  and  stones  were  flying  from 
the  bushes  in  every  direction,  and  although  we  killed  and 
wounded  in  this  place  great  numbers  of  them,  we  were 
satisfied,  from  the  opposition  made,  that  we  should  have 
to  fight  our  whole  way  through  the  valley. 

" '  It  became  now  necessary  to  guard  against  a  useless 
consumption  of  ammunition.  The  scouting  parties  had 
returned,  and  some  had  expended  all  their  cartridges ;  I 
exhorted  them  to  be  more  careful  of  them,  and  after 
having  given  them  a  fresh  supply,  forbid  any  firing  from 
the  main  body,  unless  we  should  be  attacked  by  great 
numbers.  I  now  left  a  party  in  this  place,  posted  in  a 
house  with  the  wounded,  and  another  party  in  ambush 
behind  a  wall,  and  directed  Mouina  to  lead  us  to  the 
next  village ;  but  before  marching  I  sent  a  messenger  to 
inform  the  Typees  that  we  should  cease  hostilities  when 
they  no  longer  made  resistance,  but  so  long  as  stones 
were  thrown  I  should  destroy  their  villages.  No  notice 
was  taken  of  this  message.  We  continued  our  march  up 
the  valley,  and  met  in  our  way  several  beautiful  villages, 
which  were  set  on  fire,  and  at  length  arrived  at  their 
capital,  for  it  deserves  the  name  of  one.  We  had  been 
compelled  to  fight  every  inch  of  ground  as  we  advanced, 


212  THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES. 

and  here  they  made  considerable  opposition ;  the  place 
was,  however,  soon  carried,  and  I  very  reluctantly  set 
fire  to  it. 

" '  The  beauty  and  regularity  of  this  place  was  such  as 
to  strike  every  spectator  with  astonishment,  and  their 
grand  site,  or  public  square,  was  far  superior  to  any 
other  we  had  met  with ;  numbers  of  their  gods  were  here 
destroyed,  several  large  and  elegant  new  war  canoes, 
which  had  never  been  used,  were  burned  in  the  houses 
that  sheltered  them ;  many  of  their  drums,  which  they 
had  been  compelled  to  abandon,  were  thrown  into  the 
flames,  and  our  natives  loaded  themselves  with  plunder, 
after  destroying  bread-fruit  and  other  trees,  and  all  the 
young  plants  they  could  find.  We  had  now  arrived  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  about  nine  miles  from  the 
beach,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  waterfall  before  mentioned ; 
the  day  was  advancing ;  we  had  yet  much  to  do,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  hasten  our  return  to  the  fort  first 
taken,  where  we  arrived  after  being  about  four  hours 
absent,  leaving  behind  us  a  scene  of  ruin  and  desolation. 
I  had  hoped  that  the  Typees  had  now  abandoned  all 
further  thoughts  of  resistance ;  but  on  my  return  to  the 
fort  I  found  the  parties  left  there  had  been  annoyed 
the  whole  time  of  my  absence ;  but  being  sheltered  from 
the  stones,  and  short  of  ammunition,  they  had  not  fired 
on  the  enemy. 

" '  The  fort  was  situated  exactly  half-way  up  the  valley ; 
to  reclimb  the  mountain  and  return  by  the  way  we  came 
would  have  been  impossible ;  it  became  therefore  neces- 
sary to  go  to  the  beach,  where  I  was  informed  that  the 
difficulty  of  ascending  the  mountains  would  not  be  so 
great ;  many  were  exhausted  with  fatigue,  and  began  to 
feel  the  cravings  of  hunger,  and  I  directed  a  halt,  that 
all  might  rest  and  refresh  themselves.  After  resting 
about  half  an  hour,  I  directed  the  natives  to  take  care  of 


THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  213 

our  wounded.  We  then  formed  the  line  of  march  and 
proceeded  down  the  valley,  and  in  our  route  destroyed 
several  other  villages,  at  all  of  which  we  had  some 
skirmishing  with  the  enemy.  At  one  of  these  places, 
situated  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hill,  they  rolled  enormous 
stones  down,  with  a  view  of  crushing  us  to  death,  but 
they  did  us  no  injury.  The  number  of  villages  destroyed 
amounted  to  ten,  and  the  destruction  of  trees  and  plantg 
and  the  plunder  carried  off  by  the  natives  is  almost 
incredible.  The  Typees  fought  us  to  the  last,  and  even 
at  first  harassed  our  rear  on  our  return ;  but  parties  left 
in  ambush  soon  put  a  stop  to  any  further  annoyance. 
We  at  length  came  to  the  formidable  fort  which  checked 
our  career  on  our  first  day's  enterprise,  and  although  I 
had  witnessed  many  instances  of  the  great  exertion  and 
ingenuity  of  these  islanders,  I  never  had  supposed  them 
capable  of  contriving  and  erecting  a  work  like  this,  so 
well  calculated  for  strength  and  defense. 

" '  There  are  but  three  entrances  into  this  valley,  one 
on  the  west,  which  we  descended,  one  on  the  east,  and 
one  from  the  beach.  No  force  whatever  had  before 
dared  to  attack  them  on  the  west,  on  account  of  the 
impossibility  of  retreating,  in  case  of  a  repulse,  which 
they  calculated  on  as  certain.  The  passage  on  the  east 
led  from  the  valley  of  their  friends,  and  that  from  the 
beach  was  guarded  by  fortresses  deemed  impregnable, 
and  justly  so  against  any  force  which  could  be  brought 
against  them  unassisted  by  artillery.  On  viewing  the 
strength  of  this  place  I  could  not  help  felicitating  myself 
on  the  lucky  circumstance  which  had  induced  me  to 
attack  them  by  land,  for  I  believe  we  should  have  failed 
in  any  attempt  on  this  place. 

" '  On  my  arrival  at  the  beach  I  met  Tavee  and  many 
of  his,  the  Shoueme  tribe,  together  with  the  chiefs  of  the 
Happahs.  Tavee  was  the  bearer  of  a  white  flag,  and 


214  THE  WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES. 

several  of  the  same  emblems  of  peace  were  flying  on  the 
different  hills  around  his  valley ;  he  was  desirous  of 
knowing  whether  I  intended  going  to  their  valley,  and 
wished  to  be  informed  when  he  should  again  bring 
presents,  and  what  articles  he  should  bring ;  he  inquired 
if  I  would  still  be  his  friend,  and  reminded  me  that  I  was 
Temaa  Typee,  the  chief  of  the  valley  of  Shoueme,  and 
that  he  was  Tavee.  I  gave  him  assurance  of  my  friend- 
ship, requested  him  to  return  and  allay  the  fears  of  the 
women,  who,  he  informed  me,  were  in  the  utmost  terror, 
apprehensive  of  an  attack  from  me.  The  chiefs  of  the 
Happahs  invited  me  to  return  to  their  valley,  assuring 
me  that  an  abundance  of  everything  was  already  pro- 
vided for  us ;  and  the  girls,  who  had  assembled  in  great 
numbers,  dressed  out  in  their  best  attire,  welcomed  our 
return  with  smiles,  and  notwithstanding  our  wet  and 
dirty  condition  —  for  it  had  been  raining  the  greater  part 
of  the  day  —  convinced  us  by  their  looks  and  gestures 
that  they  were  disposed  to  give  us  the  most  friendly 
reception. 

" '  Gattanewa  met  me  on  the  side  of  the  hill  as  I  was 
ascending.  The  old  man's  heart  was  full,  he  could  not 
speak ;  he  placed  both  my  hands  on  his  head,  rested  his 
forehead  on  my  knees,  and  after  a  short  pause,  raising 
himself,  placed, his  hands  on  my  breast,  exclaiming,  Gat- 
tanewa !  and  then  on  his  own,  saying,  Opotee !  to  remind 
me  that  we  had  exchanged  names. 

" '  When  I  had  reached  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  I 
stopped  to  contemplate  that  valley  which,  in  the  morning, 
we  had  viewed  in  all  its  beauty,  the  scene  of  abundance 
and  happiness — a  long  line  of  smoking  ruins  now  marked 
our  track  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  the  opposite  hills 
were  covered  with  the  unhappy  fugitives,  and  the  whole 
presented  a  scene  of  desolation  and  horror.  Unhappy 
and  heroic  people !  the  victims  of  your  own  courage  and 


THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  215 

mistaken  pride,  while  the  instruments  of  your  fate  shed 
the  tears  of   pity   over  your  misfortunes,  thousands  of 
your  countrymen  —  nay,  brethren  of  the  same  family  - 
triumph  in  your  distresses ! 

" '  I  shall  not  fatigue  myself  or  the  reader  by  a  longer 
account  of  this  expedition.  We  spent  the  night  with  the 
Happahs,  who  supplied  us  most  abundantly,  and  next 
morning,  at  daylight,  started  for  Madisonville,  where  we 
arrived  about  eight  o'clock,  after  an  absence  of  three 
nights  and  two  days,  during  which  time  we  marched 
upward  of  sixty  miles,  by  paths  which  had  never  before 
been  trodden  but  by  the  natives.  Several  of  my  strongest 
men  were  for  a  long  time  laid  up  by  sickness,  occasioned 
by  their  excessive  fatigue,  and  one  —  Corporal  Mahan  of 
the  marines  —  died  two  days  after  our  return. 

" '  The  day  of  our  return  was  devoted  to  rest ;  a  mes- 
senger was,  however,  dispatched  to  the  Typees  to  inform 
them  I  was  still  willing  to  make  peace,  and  that  I  should 
not  allow  them  to  return  to  their  valley  until  they  had 
come  to  terms  of  friendship  with  us.  The  messenger,  on 
his  return,  informed  me  that  the  Typees,  on  his  arrival, 
were  in  the  utmost  consternation,  but  that  my  message 
had  diffused  the  most  lively  joy  among  them.  There 
was  nothing  they  desired  more  than  peace,  and  they 
would  be  willing  to  purchase  my  friendship  on  any 
terms.  He  informed  me  that  a  flag  of  truce  would  be 
sent  in  next  day  to  know  my  conditions. 

" '  On  the  arrival  of  the  Typee  flag,  which  was  borne 
by  a  chief  accompanied  by  a  priest,  I  informed  them  that 
I  still  insisted  on  a  compliance  with  the  conditions  for- 
merly offered  them,  to  wit,  an  exchange  of  presents  and 
peace :  with  myself  and  the  tribes  who  had  allied  them- 
selves to  me.  They  readily  consented  to  these  terms, 
and  requested  to  know  the  number  of  hogs  I  should 
require,  stating  that  they  had  lost  but  few,  and  should  be 


216  THE   WAR   WITH    THE    TYPEES. 

enabled  to  supply  us  abundantly.  I  told  them  I  should 
expect  from  them  four  hundred,  which  they  assured  me 
should  be  delivered  without  delay.  Flags  were  now  sent 
to  me  again  from  all  the  tribes  on  the  island,  even  the 
most  remote  and  inconsiderable,  with  large  presents  of 
hogs  and  fruit,  and  we  had  never  at  any  time  since  we 
had  been  on  the  island  experienced  such  abundance. 

" '  Peace  now  being  established  throughout  the  island, 
and  the  utmost  harmony  reigning,  not  only  between  us 
and  the  natives,  but  between  the  different  tribes,  they 
mixed  with  one  another  about  our  village  in  the  most 
friendly  manner,  and  the  different  chiefs  with  the  priests 
came  daily  to  visit  me.  They  were  all  much  delighted 
that  a  general  peace  had  been  brought  about,  that  they 
might  now  all  visit  the  different  parts  of  the  island  in 
safety,  and  many  of  the  oldest  men  assured  me  that  they 
had  never  before  been  out  of  the  valley  in  which  they 
were  born.  They  repeatedly  expressed  their  astonish- 
ment and  admiration  that  I  should  have  been  enabled  to 
effect  so  much  in  so  short  a  time,  and  that  I  should  have 
been  able  to  extend  my  influence  so  far  as  to  give  them 
such  complete  protection,  not  only  in  the  valley  of  Tieu- 
hoy,  but  among  the  tribes  with  which  they  had  been  at 
war  from  the  earliest  periods,  and  had  heretofore  been 
considered  their  natural  enemies.  I  informed  them  that 
I  should  shortly  leave  them,  and  should  return  at  the 
expiration  of  a  year.  I  exhorted  them  to  remain  at 
peace  with  one  another,  and  assured  them  that  if  they 
should  be  at  war  on  my  return,  I  should  punish  the  tribe 
most  in  fault.  They  all  gave  me  the  strongest  assur- 
ances of  a  disposition  to  remain  on  good  terms,  not  only 
with  me  and  my  people,  but  with  one  another. 

"  *  I  now  was  enabled  to  make  little  excursions  occa- 
sionally into  different  parts  of  the  valley,  and  visit  the 
natives  at  their  homes,  which  was  what  I  had  not  been 


THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  217 

enabled  to  do  heretofore,  as  my  various  occupations  had 
kept  me  much  confined  to  our  village.  On  these  occa- 
sions I  always  met  the  most  hospitable  and  friendly 
reception  from  the  natives  of  both  sexes.  Cocoanuts 
and  whatever  else  they  had  were  offered  me,  and  I  rarely 
returned  home  without  several  little  tie-ties  as  a  token 
of  their  regard.  I  generally  took  with  me  seeds  of  dif- 
ferent kinds,  with  which  I  was  provided,  such  as  melons, 
pumpkins,  peas,  beans,  oranges,  limes,  etc.,  together  with 
peach-stones,  wheat,  and  Indian  corn,  which  were  planted 
within  the  inclosures,  in  the  most  suitable  places  for 
them,  the  natives  always  assisting  in  pulling  up  the 
weeds  and  clearing  the  ground  for  planting  them.  The 
nature  of  the  different  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruit  that 
each  kind  of  grain  would  produce  was  explained  to  them, 
and  they  all  promised  to  take  the  utmost  care  of  them 
and  prevent  the  "hogs  from  doing  them  any  injury.  I 
directed  them  not  to  pull  any  of  the  fruit  until  they  had 
consulted  Wilson  to  know  if  they  were  ripe.  Among  all 
the  seeds  that  were  sown  there  was  none  which  gave 
them  so  much  pleasure  as  the  wheat,  which  they  called 
maie,  which  is  the  name  they  give  the  bread-fruit ;  they 
would  not  believe,  however,  at  first  that  it  was  from  this 
grain  we  made  our  bread  (which  they  also  called  maid, 
but  sometimes  potato)  until  I  had  ground  some  of  the 
grain  between  two  stones,  and  showed  them  the  flour, 
which  produced  from  them  the  most  joyous  exclamations 
of  mate !  maid !  maid  !  and  all  began  to  clear  away  spots 
for  sowing  the  grain,  and  bringing  me  leaves  and  cocoa- 
nut  shells,  begging  that  I  would  give  them  some  to  take 
home  to  plant. 

"  *  I  endeavored  to  impress  them  with  an  idea  of  the 
value  of  the  seeds  I  was  planting,  and  explained  to  them 
the  different  kinds  of  fruit  they  would  produce,  assuring 
them  of  their  excellence,  and  as  a  farther  inducement  to 


218  THE  WAR   WITH   THE  TYPEES. 

them  to  attend  their  cultivation,  I  promised  them  that, 
on  my  return,  I  would  give  them  a  whale's  tooth  for 
every  ripe  pumpkin  and  melon  they  would  bring  me  ;  and 
to  the  chiefs  of  the  distant  tribes,  to  whom  I  distributed 
the  different  kinds  of  seeds,  I  made  the  same  promise. 
I  also  gave  them  several  English  hogs  of  a  superior 
breed,  which  they  were  very  anxious  to  procure.  I  left 
in  charge  of  Wilson  some  male  and  female  goats,  and 
as  I  had  a  number  of  young  Galapagos  tortoises,  I  dis- 
tributed several  among  the  chiefs,  and  permitted  a  great 
many  to  escape  into  the  bushes  and  among  the  grass. 

" '  In  one  of  these  excursions,  I  was  led  to  the  chief 
place  of  religious  ceremony  of  the  valley.  It  is  situated 
high  up  the  valley  of  the  Havvous,  in  a  fine  grove,  and  I 
regret  extremely  that  I  had  it  not  in  my  power  to  make 
a  correct  drawing  of  it  on  the  spot,  as  it  far  exceeds  in 
splendor  everything  of  the  kind  described  by  Captain 
Cook,  or  represented  in  the  plates  which  accompany  his 
voyage. 

" '  Sometime  previous  to  this  I  had  been  tabooed  at  my 
request  by  Gattanewa;  this  gave  me  the  privilege  of  vis- 
iting and  examining  all  their  places  of  religious  worship, 
and  I  now  took  advantage  of  my  right  in  going  into  the 
grove  among  the  gods,  accompanied  by  the  attendants  on 
the  place.  Wilson  could  not  accompany  me  there,  and  I 
was  not  enabled  to  make  enquiry  on  many  subjects ;  but 
observing  that  they  treated  all  their  gods  with  little 
respect,  frequently  catching  them  by  their  large  ears, 
drawing  my  attention  to  their  mouths,  their  flat  noses, 
and  large  eyes,  and  pointing  out  to  me,  by  signs,  all  their 
other  deformities,  I  told  Wilson  to  inform  them  I  thought 
they  treated  their  gods  very  disrespectfully.  They  told 
me  that  those  were  like  themselves,  mere  attendants  on 
their  divinity,  as  thpy  were  on  the  priest ;  that  I  had  not 
yet  seen  their  greatest  of  all  gods,  that  he  was  in  a  small 


THE  WAR   WITH   THE  TYPEES.  219 

house,  which  they  pointed  out,  situated  at  the  corner  of 
the  grove;  and  on  my  expressing  a  desire  to  see  him, 
after  a  short  consultation  among  themselves,  they  brought 
him  out  on  the  branch  of  a  cocoamit  tree,  when  I  was 
surprised  to  find  him  only  a  parcel  of  paper  cloth  secured 
to  a  piece  of  a  spear  about  four  feet  long ;  it  in  some 
measure  resembled  a  child  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  the 
part  intended  to  represent  the  head  had  a  number  of 
stripes  of  cloth  hanging  from  it  about  a  foot  in  length. 
I  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  appearance 
of  the  god  they  worshiped,  in  which  they  all  joined  me 
with  a  great  deal  of  good  humor,  some  of  them  dan- 
dling and  nursing  the  god  as  a  child  would  her  doll. 

" '  I  endeavored  to  ascertain  whether  they  had  an  idea 
of  a  future  state,  rewards,  and  punishments,  and  the 
nature  of  their  heaven.  As  regards  the  latter,  they  be- 
lieved it  to  be  an  island,  somewhere  in  the  sky,  abounding 
with  everything  desirable ;  that  those  killed  in  war  and 
carried  off  by  their  friends  go  there,  provided  they  are 
furnished  with  a  canoe  and  provisions,  but  that  those 
who  are  carried  off  by  the  enemy  never  reach  it  unless 
a  sufficient  number  of  the  enemy  can  be  obtained  to 
paddle  his  canoe  there,  and  for  this  reason  they  were  so 
anxious  to  procure  a  crew  for  their  priest,  who  was  killed 
and  carried  off  by  the  Happahs.  They  have  neither 
rewards  nor  punishments  in  this  world,  and  I  could  not 
learn  that  they  expected  any  in  the  next.  Their  religion, 
however,  is  like  a  plaything,  an  amusement  to  them,  and 
I  very  much  doubt  whether  they,  at  any  moment,  gave 
it  a  serious  thought ;  their  priests  and  jugglers  manage 
those  matters  for  them  ;  what  they  tell  them  they  believe, 
and  do  not  put  themselves  to  the  trouble  of  considering 
whether  it  is  right  or  wrong.  They  are  very  credulous, 
and  will  as  readily  believe  in  one  religion  as  another. 
I  have  explained  to  them  the  nature  of  the  Christian 


220  THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES. 

religion,  in  a  manner  to  suit  their  ideas ;  they  listened 
with  much  attention,  appeared  pleased  with  the  novelty 
of  it,  and  agreed  that  our  God  must  be  greater  than 
theirs.  Our  Chaplain,  Mr.  Adams,  endeavored  to  collect 
from  one  of  their  priests  some  notions  of  his  religion, 
and  among  other  things  inquired  of  him  whether,  accord- 
ing to  their  belief,  the  body  was  translated  to  the  other 
world  or  only  the  spirit ;  the  priest,  after  a  considerable 
pause,  at  length  replied,  that  the  flesh  and  bones  went  to 
the  earth,  but  that  all  within  went  to  the  sky.  From  his 
manner,  however,  the  question  seemed  greatly  to  embar- 
rass him,  and  it  appeared  as  though  a  new  field  was 
opened  to  his  view. 

" '  Besides  the  gods  at  the  burying-place,  or  morai,  as  it 
is  called  by  them,  they  have  their  household  gods,  which 
are  hung  round  their  necks,  generally  made  of  human 
bones ;  and  others,  which  are  carved  on  the  handles  of 
their  fans,  on  their  stilts,  their  canes,  and  more  particu- 
larly on  their  war-clubs ;  but  these  gods  are  not  held  in 
any  estimation ;  they  are  sold,  exchanged,  and  given 
away  with  the  same  indifference  as  any  other  object, 
and  indeed  the  most  precious  relics,  the  skulls  and  other 
bones  of  their  relations,  are  disposed  of  with  equal 
indifference. 

" '  When  we  were  at  war  with  the  Typees,  the  Happahs 
and  Tayehs  made  a  strict  search  in  the  houses  of  the 
enemy  for  the  skulls  of  their  ancestors  who  had  been 
slain  in  battle  (knowing  where  they  were  deposited)  ; 
many  were  found,  and  the  possessors  seemed  rejoiced 
that  they  had  recovered  from  the  enemy  so  inestimable 
a  relic.  Dr.  Hoffman  seeing  a  man  with  three  or  four 
skulls  strung  round  his  waist,  asked  him  for  them,  and 
they  were  given  up  immediately,  although  they  had 
belonged  to  his  father,  brother,  or  some  near  relation. 
Next  day  several  appeared  at  the  village  with  the  skulls 


THE   WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES.  221 

to  traffic  for  harpoons.  A  very  old  man  came  to  the 
village  as  a  representative  from  one  of  the  tribes,  and 
wishing  to.  make  me  a  present,  and  having  nothing  else 
to  give  me,  took  from  his  neck  a  string  of  bones  cut  in 
the  form  of  their  gods,  and  assured  me  they  were  the 
bones  of  his  grandmother. 

"'In  religion  these  people  are  mere  children;  their 
morals  are  their  baby-houses,  and  their  gods  are  .their 
dolls.  I  have  seen  Gattanewa  with  all  his  sons,  and 
many  others,  sitting  for  hours  together  clapping  their 
hands  and  singing  before  a  number  of  little  wooden  gods 
laid  out  in  small  houses  erected  for  the  occasion,  and 
ornamented  with  strips  of  cloth ;  they  were  such  houses 
as  a  child  would  have  made,  of  about  two  feet  long  and 
eighteen  inches  high,  and  no  less  than  ten  or  twelve  of 
them  in  a  cluster,  like  a  small  village.  By  the  side  of  this 
were  several  canoes,  furnished  with  their  paddles,  seines, 
harpoons,  and.  other  fishing  apparatus,  and  round  the 
whole  a  line  was  drawn  to  show  that  the  whole  place 
was  tabooed.  Within  this  line  was  Gattanewa  and  others, 
like  overgrown  babies,  singing  and  clapping  their  hands, 
sometimes  laughing  and  talking,  and  appearing  to  give 
their  ceremony  no  attention.  He  asked  me  if  the  place 
was  not  very  fine ;  and  it  was  on  this  occasion  that  he 
tabooed  me,  in  order  to  give  me  an  opportunity  of  ap- 
proaching the  gods  and  examining  them  more  closely. 
The  whole  -ceremony  of  tabooing  me  consisted  in  taking 
a  piece  of  white  cloth  from  the  hole  through  his  ear,  and 
tying  it  around  my  hat  as  a  band.  I  wore  this  badge  for 
several  days,  and  simple  as  it  was,  every  one  I  passed 
would  call  out  taboo,  and  avoid  touching  me.  I  inquired 
the  cause  of  this  ceremony  of  Gattanewa,  and  he  told  me 
he  was  going  to  catch  tortoises  for  the  gods,  and  that  he 
should  have  to  pray  to  them  several  days  and  nights  for 
success,  during  which  time  he  should  be  tabooed  and 
dare  not  enter  a  house  frequented  by  women.' " 

10 


222  THE  WAR  WITH   THE  TYPEES. 

Eugene  came  to  a  pause ;  then,  after  a  moment, 
"Here's  a  paragraph  about  tattooing,"  he  said;  "shall 
I  read  it?" 

"  We  've  had  a  good  deal  on  that  subject,  already," 
objected  his  brother. 

"  No  matter,"  interposed  the  Professor ;  "  he 's  pretty 
sure  to  give  us  something  new,  so  let 's  hear  him,"  and 
Eugene  at  once  resumed  : 

"'Tattooing  among  these  people  is  performed  by 
means  of  a  machine  made  of  bone  something  like  a 
comb  with  the  teeth  only  on  one  side ;  the  points  of  the 
teeth  are  rubbed  with  a  black  paint  made  of  burnt  cocoa- 
nmVshell  ground  to  powder,  and  mixed  with  water ;  this 
is  struck  into  the  flesh  by  means  of  a  heavy  piece  of 
wood  which  serves  the  purpose  of  a  hammer.  The  opera- 
tion is  extremely  painful  and  streams  of  blood  follow 
every  blow,  yet  pride  induces  them  to  bear  this  torture, 
and  they  even  suffer  themselves  to  be  tied  down  while 
the  operation  is  performing  in  order  that  their  agony 
may  not  interrupt  the  operator.  The  men  commence 
tattooing  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  bear  the  pain ;  they 
begin  at  the  age  of  eighteen  or  nineteen,  and  are  rarely 
completely  tattooed  until  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five.  The  women  begin  about  the  same  age ;  they  have 
only  their  legs,  arms,  and  hands  tattooed  —  which  -is 
done  with  extraordinary  neatness  and  delicacy  —  and 
some  slight  lines  drawn  across  their  lips.  'It  is  also 
the  practice  with  some  to  have  the  inside  of  their  lips 
tattooed,  but  the  object  of  this  ornament  I  could  never 
find  out,  as  it  is  never  seen  unless  they  turn  out  their  lips 
to  show  it.  Every  tribe  on  the  island,  I  observed,  was 
tattooed  after  a  different  fashion,  and  I  was  informed 
that  every  line  had  its  meaning,  and  gave  to  the  bearer 
certain  privileges  at  their  feasts.  This  practice  of  tattoo- 
ing sometimes  occasions  sores  which  fester  and  are  sev- 


THE  WAR  WITH   THE  TYPEES.  223 

eral  weeks  in  healing;  it,  however,  never  produces  any 
serious  consequences,  or  leaves  any  scars  behind. 

" '  On  the  9th  of  December  I  had  all  my  provisions, 
wood,  and  water  on  board,  my  decks  filled  with  hogs,  and 
a  most  abundant  supply  of  cocoanuts  and  bananas,  with 
which  we  had  been  furnished  by  the  liberality  of  our 
Nukahiva  friends,  who  had  reserved  for  us  a  stock  of 
dried  cocoanuts,  suitable  for  taking  to  sea,  and  calculated 
to  keep  for  some  three  or  four  months. 

" '  I  now  found  it  necessary  to  stop  the  liberty  I  had 
heretofore  given  my  people,  and  directed  that  every  per- 
son should  remain  on  board  and  work  late  and  early  to 
hasten  the  departure  of  the  ship ;  but  three  of  my  crew 
determined  on  having  a  parting  kiss,  and  to  obtain  it, 
swam  on  shore  at  night ;  they  were  caught  on  the  beach 
and  brought  to  me.  I  immediately  caused  them  to  be 
confined  in  irons,  and  determined  to  check  any  further 
disobedience  of  my  orders  by  the  most  exemplary  pun- 
ishment. I  next  morning  caused  them  to  be  punished  at 
the  gangway,  and  set  them  to  work  in  chains  with  my 
prisoners.  This  severity  excited  some  discontent  and 
murmurings  among  the  crew,  but  it  effectually  prevented 
a  recurrence. 

"  *  Nukahiva  had  many  charms  for  a  sailor,  and  had 
part  of  my  crew  felt  disposed  to  remain  there,  I  knew 
they  would  not  absent  themselves  until  the  moment 
before  my  departure.  This  affair  had,  however,  like  to 
have  ended  seriously ;  my  crew  did  not  see  the  same 
motives  for  restraint  as  myself;  they  had  long  been 
indulged,  and  they  thought  it  hard  now  to  be  deprived 
of  their  usual  liberty ;  one  kiss  now  was  worth  a  thou- 
sand at  any  other  time  ;  they  were  restless,  discontented, 
and  unhappy.  The  girls  lined  the  beach  from  morning 
till  night,  and  every  moment  importuned  me  to  take  the 
taboo  off  the  men,  and  laughingly  expressed  their  grief 


224  THE  WAR   WITH   THE   TYPEES. 

by  dipping  their  fingers  into  the  sea  and  touching  their 
eyes,  so  as  to  let  the  salt  water  trickle  down  their  cheeks. 
Others  would  seize  a  chip,  and  holding  it  in  the  manner 
of  a  shark's  tooth,  declared  they  would  cut  themselves  to 
pieces  in  despair ;  some  threatened  to  beat  their  brains 
out  with  a  spear  of  grass,  some  to  drown  themselves,  and 
all  were  determined  to  inflict  on  themselves  some  dread- 
ful punishment  if  I  did  not  permit  their  sweethearts  to 
come  on  shore.  The  men  did  not  bear  it  with  so  much 
good  humor ;  their  situation,  they  said,  was  worse  than 
slavery.' 

"  And  I  don't  blame  them  for  thinking  so,"  added  the 
reader,  emphatically,  as  he  closed  the  book  with  a  slam. 

"  What !  is  that  all  ?  "  demanded  Chester,  hastily. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  so  far  as  the  Commodore  is 
concerned." 

"  Did  Porter  leave  the  island  with  his  whole  fleet  ? " 
asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  No,"  said  Eugene ;  "  he  sailed  on  the  12th  of  Decem- 
ber, with  the  Essex  and  Essex  Junior  only.  The  other 
vessels  he  had  warped  in  under  the  guns  of  the  fort 
before  he  left." 

"Then  some  of  his  force  was  left  behind?"  observed 
Mr.  Morgan. 

"  Yes,  the  command  of  the  fort  was  given  to  Lieuten- 
ant Gamble,  of  the  marines,  who  had  under  him  Feltus 
and  Clapp,  two  of  the  midshipmen,  and  twenty-one  men." 

"  What  was  the  Commodore's  idea  in  leaving  the 
prizes  there  ? "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  To  secure  the  means  of  future  repairs,  and  to  avoid 
any  unnecessary  detention." 

"  But  he  must  have  had  some  understanding  with 
Gamble  as  to  what  he  should  do,  in  case  he  did  n't 
return  in  a  given  time,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Yes,  it  was  understood  that  if  the  lieutenant  did  not 


THE  WAR  WITH   THE   TYPEES.  225 

hear  from  him  within  five  and  a  half  months,  he  was  to 
leave  the  island  and  make  the  best  of  his  way  home." 

"  Well,"  said  Chester, "  in  a  word,  what  happened  after 
the  Commodore  left  ?  " 

"  The  Essex"  rejoined  his  brother,  " had  no  sooner 
disappeared  than  the  savages  began  to  show  a  turbulent 
disposition.  This  was,  for  the  time,  quieted.  Soon  after, 
one  of  the  men  was  drowned,  and  four  deserted  in  a 
whaleboat.  In  April  a  part  of  the  men  mutinied  and 
sailed  away  in  the  Seringapatam.  In  May  the  natives 
attacked  them  and  killed  Midshipman  Feltus  and  three 
of  the  men,  and  severely  wounded  another.  The  whole 
party  was  now  reduced  to  eight  individuals,  of  whom 
only  four  were  fit  for  duty.  With  these  Mr.  Gamble  got 
to  sea  in  the  Sir  Andrew  Hammond,  and  went  to  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  where  he  was  soon  after  captured  by 
the  Cherub.  He  then  learned  the  fate  of  the  Essex, 
which,  on  the  last  of  March,  after  a  bloody  and  long- 
sustained  battle  with  the  British  ships  Phoebe  and  Cherub, 
in  the  neutral  harbor  of  Valparaiso,  had  surrendered." 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  quickly,  "  and  that  was 
a  dastardly  piece  of  business  on  the  part  of  the  British." 

"  It  was  so,"  assented  Eugene,  with  emphasis. 

"  But  how  did  Porter  come  to  let  the  enemy  get  the 
best  of  him  at  last?"  asked  Mr.  Morgan,  much  interested. 

"  The  action,"  explained  Eugene,  "  was  fought  under 
great  disadvantages,  with  a  far  superior  force  of  the 
enemy.  Just  before  going  into  battle,  a  squall  of  wind 
had  carried  away  the  maintop-mast  of  the  Essex,  so  that 
Commodore  Porter  could  not  manoeuver  his  ship.  She 
therefore  lay  completely  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy,  who 
could  choose  his  own  position  and  distance,  and,  with  his 
guns  of  longer  reach,  pour  in  the  shot  upon  his  crippled 
antagonist,  without  the  latter  having  the  shadow  of  a 
chance  for  a  successful  defense.  But,  notwithstanding  it 


226  THE    WAR   WITH    THE   TYPEES. 

all,  the  brave  Commodore  made  a  splendid  fight ;  indeed, 
he  refused  to  surrender  until  his  principal  officers  and 
more  than  one-half  of  his  crew  had  been  killed  or 
wounded." 

"  Well,  I  hope  he  was  well  treated  when  he  reached 
home,"  said  Morgan. 

"  He  was  everywhere  received  with  the  highest  honors. 
Congress  and  the  several  States  gave  him  a  vote  of 
thanks,  and  by  universal  acclamation  he  was  called  '  The 
Hero  of  the  Pacific.'  " 

"  Good ;  I  am  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  And  so  am  I,"  said  Chester ;  "  but  I  should  like  very 
much  to  know  just  what  permanent  effect  his  visit  had 
on  those  islanders.  Can  you  tell  us,  Professor  ?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  reply;  "but  I  think  I  can  give  you  some 
idea,  after  consulting  an  author  who  has  been  quoted 
here  more  than  once  during  the  past  few  days." 

"  As  you  will  want  time  for  that,  Professor,"  suggested 
the  Captain,  "  I  move  we  postpone  further  consideration 
of  the  subject  until  to-morrow." 

The  motion  was  unanimously  carried,  and  the  little 
group  soon  broke  up. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

UAHUGA  —  NUKAHIVA. 

NO  one  was  disposed  to  linger  long  at  the  breakfast 
table  next  morning ;  and  on  rising,  all,  with  one 
accord,  sought  the  quarter-deck.  It  was  a  lovely  day, 
not  too  warm,  though  but  little  air  was  stirring,  and  the 
broad  expanse  of  ocean  round  was  truly  pacific.  The 
most  comfortable  chair  was  pushed  forward  into  the 
best  place,  and  the  Professor  ordered  to  take  possession, 
which,  after  a  mild  protest,  he  proceeded  to  do.  Then, 
with  eager  haste,  Eugene  demanded  to  know  what  in- 
formation his  researches  had  brought  him  since  the  day 
before. 

"  Not  so  much  that  is  new  as  I  had  hoped,"  answered 
the  Professor,  with  a  smile ;  "  still,  I  have  been  greatly 
interested  in  noting  the  many  corroborations  of  Porter's 
statements  that  I  find  in  other  works." 

"  And  you  have  formed  some  idea  of  the  impression 
left  on  the  Marquesans  by  the  Commodore's  visit?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  You  shall  hear."  Then,  after  settling  himself  com- 
fortably in  his  chair,  and  glancing  at  a  memorandum 
in  his  hand,  he  continued  : 

"  Sixteen  years  after  Porter  sailed  away  from  Nukahiva, 
the  United  States  ship  Vlncennes  visited  the  group,  with 
C.  S.  Stewart  on  board,  as  chaplain,  and  as  you  doubtless 
know,  that  gentleman  has  left  us  an  entertaining  account 
of  the  visit. 

"  The  Vtncennes  first  sighted  Uahuga,  the  most  eastern 
island  of  the  northern  cluster.  They  at  once  bore  down 

(227) 


228  UAHUGA. 

for  it,  and  weathering  the  southeast  point,  coasted  for  a 
distance  of  fifteen  miles  along  its  southern  shore.  On 
this  side,  Stewart  says,  it  seemed  lofty,  precipitous,  and 
barren;  and  he  estimates  its  greatest  height  at  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet. 

"  Like  most  other  high,  tropical  islands,  it  is  deeply 
furrowed  with  narrow  glens,  separated  from  each  other 
by  sharp  spurs  of  mountain,  running  from  the  highland 
in  the  center  to  the  shore.  Here  and  there,  he  tells  us, 
a  small  plain  or  table-land,  and  occasionally  a  short  sand 
beach  appears,  but  no  alluvial  interval,  and  generally  a 
bold  coast,  with  breakers  dashing  high  against  its  dark 
cliffs.  No  woodland  is  to  be  seen  except  on  the  loftiest 
peaks  of  the  interior ;  but  all  the  high  ridges  and  valleys, 
and  the  whole  surface  of  the  country,  is  beautifully  ver- 
dant from  a  heavy  growth  of  tufted  grass. 

"  As  they  sailed  along,  the  wildness  of  the  formation 
rapidly  increased,  until  they  made  the  southwest  point. 
As  yet  they  had  discovered  no  sign  whatever  of  the 
inhabitants.  '  Everything  on  shore,'  he  says,  *  seemed 
solitary  as  the  desert.  Disappointed  in  this  respect,  and 
the  night  rapidly  approaching,  we  were  about  to  bear 
away  for  Nukahiva,  already  dimly  descried  in  the  west, 
when  a  high  bluff  of  rocks  directly  abreast  of  the  ship 
became  suddenly  crowned  with  islanders,  whose  light 
skins  and  naked  figures  were  perfectly  distinguishable, 
while  the  shore  rang  with  wild  shouts,  as  they  waved 
streamers  of  white  cloth  high  on  their  spears,  and  tossed 
their  mantles  above  their  heads  in  the  air.  Having  too 
much  sail  set  readily  to  check  the  way  of  the  ship,  we 
soon  shot  past,  while  the  natives,  scampering  along  the 
heights  and  over  a  hill  ahead,  shouted  and  whistled  with 
every  variety  of  intonation  of  voice,  and  still  wildly  ges- 
ticulated with  their  hands  and  arms,  and  waved  their 
tapas  on  high.' 


UAHUGA.  229 

"•  They  reduced  sail  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  getting 
at  the  same  time  under  the  lee  of  the  land,  their  progress 
soon  became  almost  imperceptible.  And  now,  from  every 
direction,  they  saw  the  natives  hurrying  toward  them, 
some  climbing  down  the  face  of  a  rocky  promontory 
just  ahead,  and  all  shouting,  and  beckoning,  and  waving 
streamers. 

"The  hills  behind  this  bluff  rise  precipitately,  and  are 
beautifully  wooded.  '  In  coming  abreast  of  it,'  Stewart 
says, '  we  found  it  to  shelter  by  its  projection,  a  short, 
pebbly  beach,  opening  into  a  narrow  ravine,  filled  with 
heavy  groves  to  the  water's  edge.  The  front  of  the  glen 
is  but  a  few  rods  in  width,  and  so  completely  occupied 
with  trees  as  to  appear  but  one  deeply-shaded  bower. 
Nothing  like  a  habitation  could  be  discerned,  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  shelter  of  the  groves  and  the  recesses 
of  the  rocks  constitute  the  only  abodes  of  the  forty  or 
fifty  natives  seen  hanging  among  the  cliffs,  or  clustering 
in  rude  excitement  on  the  shore. 

" '  The  scene  was  one  of  the  wildest  imaginable ;  and 
such  as  few  have  it  in  their  power  ever  to  behold.  The 
picturesque  beauty  of  the  wooded  hills  and  glen  brightly 
gleaming  in  the  setting  sun,  the  naked  figures  of  the 
islanders,  and  their  rude  and  extravagant  gestures  and 
vociferations,  exhibiting  man  in  the  simplest  state  of 
nature,  still  the  unclothed  tenant  of  the  forest,  could 
scarce  fail  in  producing  a  most  powerful  sensation  among 
those  who  had  never  before  witnessed  anything  of  the 
kind.  And  I  suspect  no  one  on  board  was  disappointed 
in  the  depth  of  the  impression  or  degree  of  excitement 
occasioned  by  this  first  scene  in  the  South  Seas. 

" '  In  the  midst  of  the  shouting  and  apparent  impor- 
tunity for  us  to  land,  the  Captain  ordered  the  music  on 
deck;  and  the  moment  its  full  and  animated  strains 

reached  the  shore,  the  effect  on  them  was  most  evident. 

10* 


230  NUKAHIVA. 

They  instantly  crouched  to  the  ground  in  perfect  silence, 
as  if  under  the  influence  of  a  charm.  Nothing  of  the 
kind,  it  is  probable,  ever  broke  upon  their  ears  before, 
and  well  might  there  have  been  a  mingling  of  supersti- 
tion in  their  minds  with  the  sudden  swelling  on  the 
breeze  of  sounds  new  and  seemingly  unearthly.  As  the 
night  was  rapidly  approaching,  there  was  no  time  to 
attempt  sending  a  boat  off;  and  while  the  band  con- 
tinued to  play  a  succession  of  airs,  the  ship  was  headed 
for  Nukahiva,  and  all  sail  again  set.  We  were  soon 
beyond  the  reach  of  their  voices ;  but  they  were  seen, 
while  the  shades  of  the  evening  gathered  round  them, 
still  seated  on  the  rocks  and  under  their  dark  bowers,  as 
if  absorbed  in  silent  wonder  and  admiration.' 

"  It  is  probable  that  few  ships,  if  any,  had  ever  before 
been  so  near  this  little  spot ;  and  to  its  inhabitants  the 
great  man-of-war,  with  its  full-toned  band,  its  many 
flags,  and  its  numerous  crew,  must  have  seemed  for  the 
moment  like  a  vision  of  brightness  from  another  world. 

"  The  channel  between  Uahuga  and  Nukahiva  being 
less  than  thirty  miles  wide,  they  ran  only  a  part  of  the 
night,  lying  to  the  remainder.  Next  morning  they  were 
eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  latter,  with  the  whole  east 
end  in  view.  Uapoa,  the  third  island  in  the  cluster,  was 
also  in  sight,  twenty  miles  to  the  south. 

"As  they  approached  Nukahiva,  the  only  object  that 
attracted  particular  attention  was  the  headland  forming 
the  southeast  point,  for  which  they  were  steering.  Stew- 
art describes  it  as  a  bold  and  lofty  promontory,  sur- 
mounted by  a  gigantic  rock,  having  a  most  striking 
resemblance  to  the  ruinous  watch-tower  of  some  dilapi- 
dated castle,  upheld  by  ponderous  bastions,  and  termina- 
ting in  a  formation  which  requires  but  little  fancy  to 
transform  into  battlements  and  a  parapet.  This  point 
they  called  Tower  Bluff. 


QLEN,    HEAD    OF    THE    VALLEY    OF    TIENHOY. 


NUKAHIVA.  233 

"  On  passing  it,  they  came  to  the  bay  and  valley  of 
Oomi,  inhabited  by  the  Typees,  the  tribe,  you  remember, 
with  which  Commodore  Porter  fought.  The  valley  was 
filled  with  verdure,  and  richly  covered,  to  the  mountain 
tops,  with  groves  of  the  cocoanut  and  bread-fruit.  A 
high  green  point,  and  an  arm  of  the  sea  running  three 
or  four  miles  inland,  separate  this  valley  and  its  waters 
from  that  of  the  Happahs,  the  only  tribe  intervening 
between  the  Typees  and  the  Tayehs,  the  occupants  of 
Tieuhoy,  where  they  at  length  came  to  anchor. 

"  While  off  the  valley  of  the  Happahs,  they  were 
boarded  by  a  naked  swarm  of  the  natives,  male  and 
female,  and  soon  ascertained  from  them  that  their  tribe 
and  the  Typees  were,  as  usual,  at  war ;  and  that,  only 
two  days  previous,  there  had  been  a  sea  fight  between 
them  near  the  spot  where  they  then  were.  Their 
grimaces  of  detestation  and  deadly  hatred  to  their 
enemies,  as  they  pointed  to  their  habitations  and  valley, 
and  pantomimic  representations  of  the  battle,  the  dis- 
charge of  the  muskets,  and  effect  of  the  shot,  were,  says 
Stewart,  quite  amusing.  They  used  all  the  eloquence  of 
speech  and  gesture  to  induce  the  new-comers  to  espouse 
their  cause  and  pour  destruction  on  the  poor  Typees, 
whose  very  name  seemed  a  terror  among  them.  For 
this  purpose  they  wished  them  to  come  to  anchor  near 
their  valley ;  but  finding  them  determined  to  proceed  to 
Tieuhoy,  they  remained  on  board,  the  Tayehs,  just  then, 
being  their  friends  and  allies. 

"  They  found  Tieuhoy  very  much  as  Porter  first  saw  it. 
From  the  beach  in  the  center,  luxuriant  groves  spread 
thickly  and  widely  among  bright  unwooded  hills,  and 
velvet-like  lawns  through  the  valleys  behind,  and  up  the 
lower  hills  skirting  them,  to  the  highest  elevations.  At 
the  head  of  the  principal  valley  a  gigantic  pyramid  of 
rock  presents  an  object  strikingly  unique  in  its  form  and 


234  NUKAHIVA. 

position.  On  the  right,  and  behind  this,  a  perpendicular 
basaltic  wall  of  several  hundred  feet  crowns  the  summit 
of  the  loftiest  mountain ;  and  opposite,  on  the  left,  an 
immense  projecting  cliff  of  gray  stone,  mantled  with 
trees  and  richly  hanging  parasitical  plants,  seems  ready, 
momentarily,  to  leap  from  the  face  of  the  precipice 
against  which  it  stands,  to  the  bosom  of  the  green 
valley  below.  Innumerable  sharp  ridges  and  deep  glens 
intersect  the  whole,  down  which  the  mountain  streams 
tumble  and  foam  in  rapids  and  cascades,  gleaming  in 
their  dark  channels  like  streams  of  silver  on  the  eye. 

"  The  valleys  are  so  thickly  covered  with  trees  that  few 
of  the  habitations  of  the  natives  are  seen.  Three  or  four 
occupy  the  open  summit  of  some  of  the  nearest  hills  ; 
the  bleached  thatch  of  others,  here  and  there,  peep 
through  the  heavy  foliage  embowering  them ;  and  one 
or  two  are  discerned,  hanging  like  birds'  nests,  high  in 
the  solitudes  of  the  mountain  forests. 

"  They  had  come  to  anchor  just  opposite  the  former 
encampment  of  Commodore  Porter,  the  place  he  called 
Madisonville.  While  yet  under  way,  two  or  three  canoes 
were  seen  paddling  toward  them  from  the  fishing  grounds, 
near  the  sea,  and  others  from  the  center  of  the  bay ;  and 
they  had  hardly  let  go  their  anchor  before  scores  of  both 
sexes  came  swimming  in  all  directions  from  the  shore, 
soon  surrounding  the  ship,  sporting  and  blowing  like  so 
many  porpoises.  They  were  all  received  on  board ;  and 
speedily  there  was  noise  and  confusion  in  abundance. 
Many  of  them,  both  men  and  women,  were  entirely 
naked,  though  most  of  the  latter  brought  with  them  a 
pan  or  kihei  (petticoat  or  mantle)  tied  up  in  leaves  or 
native  cloth,  and  elevated  on  a  short  stick,  which  they 
held  above  their  heads  with  one  hand,  while  they  swam 
with  the  other.  Till  they  gained  the  deck,  however,  and 
had  time  to  make  their  toilet  there,  they  all  stood  d  la 


NUKAHIVA. 


235 


Venus  de  Medici;  an  attitude  which  many,  from  an 
entire  deficiency  in  their  wardrobe  on  this  aquatic  excur- 
sion, were  obliged  to  retain.  The  number  on  board,  our 
informant  tells  us,  amounted  to  between  one  hundred  and 
fifty  and  two  hundred. 

"  It  was  not  till  three  hours  later  that  a  canoe  of  chief- 
tains arrived  alongside.     The  party  consisted  of  Moan  a, 
the  prince  or  king  of  the  tribe,  a  boy  about  eight  years  of 
age  ;  Haape",  the  guar- 
dian of  the  prince,  and 
regent  during  the  mi- 
nority ;  Tenae,  his  son, 
of    the    same    age   as 
Moana,  and  Piaroro,  a 
chief  of  rank  from  the. 
neighboring    tribe    of' 
the  Happahs.    Neither 
men  nor  boys  had  any 
other  clothing  than  the 
simple  maro  of  an  in- 
ferior kind  of  tapa  or 
native  cloth.     The 
prince  and  his  compan- 
ion were  bright  little 
fellows,  and,  as  if  by 
common   consent,   be- 
came   great    favorites  PIAROBO'S  HAND. 
with  all  the  officers. 

"  Haape"  was  a  middle-aged  man  of  mild  countenance 
and  seemingly  of  a  kind  and  amiable  disposition.  He 
welcomed  the  visitors  with  great  cordiality,  taking  it  for 
granted  that,  by  the  arrival  of  one  of  '  Opotee's  ships,'  as 
they  call  all  American  vessels,  he  had  gained  just  the 
kind  of  ally  against  the  Typces  that  he  needed. 

"  Piaroro  was  a  noble-looking  fellow,  tall  and  large, 


236  NUKAHIVA. 

not  very  muscular,  but  of  admirable  proportions,  with  a 
general  contour  of  figure  and  roundness  and  polish  of 
limb  that  would  have  done  grace  to  an  Apollo.  His  skin 
was  so  perfectly  covered  with  tattoo,  in  a  variety  of  taste- 
ful and  symmetrical  figures,  as  to 'give  him  the  appear- 
ance of  being  clothed ;  and,  though  it  was  apparent  that 
naturally  his  complexion  was  as  fair  as  most  of  his  coun- 
trymen, his  whole  face  and  head,  chest  and  shoulders, 
were,  from  this  cause,  as  black  as  a  negro's.  The  dress- 
ing of  the  head  constitutes  a  principal  labor  of  the  toilet 
of  both  sexes ;  and  Piaroro's  hair  was  arranged  with  the 
greatest  care,  being  tied  very  smoothly  and  closely,  with 
white  tapa,  in  two  bunches  on  the  top. 

"  After  informing  the  chiefs,  through  an  interpreter,  of 
the  object  of  his  visit,  the  captain  of  the  Vincennes  offered 
them  refreshments ;  and  while  they  were  eating,  the  band 
struck  up  on  deck.  They  at  once  hurried  from  the  cabin, 
and  until  evening  gave  themselves  up,  with  all  the  aban- 
don and  delight  of  children,  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
music. 

"  On  entering  the  harbor  a  white  flag  had  been  hoisted 
at  the  fore-top-mast-head,  as  a  signal  that  the  ship  was 
free  of  access  to  all  who  might  choose  to  come  on  board. 
The  captain  informed  them  of  the  design  in  setting  it, 
and  told  the  chiefs  that  any  of  the  people  might  come 
off  whenever  they  saw  it  flying,  but  that  the  taking  of  it 
down  would  show  that  the  ship  was  tabooed  till  it  should 
be  hoisted  again ;  that  now  it  was  to  be  lowered  for  the 
night,  and  all  on  board,  men  and  women,  must  start  for 
the  shore. 

"  This  Haape'  and  Piaroro  made  known  to  the  crowds 
thronging  the  decks  and  rigging  from  stem  to  stern,  and 
mildly  used  their  authority  with  them.  At  first,  little 
attention  was  paid  to  the  order;  but  when  the  captain 
repeated  the  injunction  to  the  chiefs,  assuring  them  that 


NUKAHIVA.  237 

the  ship  must  be  cleared,  they  assumed  a  more  authori- 
tative and  decided  tone  toward  the  people,  and  the  men 
began  plunging  overboard  amidst  the  confusion  of  a 
general  chatter  and  exclamation. 

"  The  women  manifestly  considered  the  order  as  refer- 
ring only  to  the  other  sex,  and  very  composedly  remained, 
clustered  about,  in  the  belief  that,  like  all  other  ships 
probably  that  had  ever  visited  them,  the  Vincennes  was 
to  be  their  home  till  her  anchor  was  raised  for  sea  again. 
And  when,  after  repeated  declarations  that  they  too  must 
go,  they  began  to  suspect  the  truth  of  the  case,  scarce 
anything  could  exceed  the  looks  of  surprise  and  inquiry 
they  cast  on  one  another  and  on  the  ship's  company. 
They  seemed  determined,  by  their  dilatory  movements 
in  obeying  the  order,  still  further  to  test  the  reality  of 
such  an  unknown  measure  ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  drum 
had  beat  to  quarters,  and  the  officers  had  very  courte- 
ously pointed  out  with  their  swords  the  steps  at  the 
gangway  to  them,  that  they  too  began,  with  many  a 
1  taha  !  talia  ! '  to  leap,  one  after  another,  into  the  water, 
and  pull  away,  as  they  have  learned  themselves  to  ex- 
press it,  for  the  shore.  The  chiefs  said,  laughingly,  as 
they  took  their  leave  to  enter  their  canoe,  '  This  is  a 
strange  ship ! '  And  no  doubt  it  was  the  first  in  which 
they  had  ever  known  any  restriction  to  be  placed  on  the 
grossest  licentiousness. 

"  The  next  day,  by  special  invitation  of  the  regent,  the 
officers  paid  him  a  visit  on  shore.  His  house  was  located 
on  the  brow  of  a  small  hill  near  the  beach,  and  over- 
looked the  bay.  It  was  small,  but  was  a  conspicuous 
object  from  the  anchorage,  and  had  a  pretty  cottage-like 
appearance.  Moana,  the  young  king,  resided  with  him. 

"  With  regard  to  the  houses,  Stewart  says  :  '  Though 
of  very  different  sizes,  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  feet 
in  length,  from  eight  to  sixteen  in  height,  and  from  ten 


238  NUKAHIVA. 

to  fourteen  and  sixteen  in  breadth,  they  are  all  of  one 
shape  and  style,  and  vary  materially,  in  their  form  and 
construction,  from  the  Hawaiians. 

" '  Here,  the  roofs,  instead  of  descending  to  eaves  on 
both  sides  of  the  ridge-pole,  have  rafters  in  front  only, 
while  the  back  of  the  house  descends  perpendicularly,  or 
in  a  very  slight  inclination,  from  the  peak  to  the  ground, 
giving  to  the  exterior  the  appearance  of  an  ordinary  hut, 
cut  lengthwise  in  two.  They  are  universally  erected,  so 
far  as  I  have  observed,  on  a  platform  of  rough,  but  in 
many  cases  massive,  stone-work,  from  one  to  four  feet  in 
height,  which  extends  two  or  three  feet  beyond  the  area 
of  the  house.  The  rafters  descend  in  front  to  a  plate,  or 
timber,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  house,  sup- 
ported by  a  row  of  thick,  round  pillars,  from  three  to  five 
feet  in  height,  over  which  the  eaves  project  sufficiently  to 
screen  the  entrance  from  the  weather. 

" '  At  the  peak  the  rafters  rest  on  a  similar  stick  of 
timber,  supported  by  two  or  more  posts,  from  eight  to 
fourteen  feet  in  height.  The  space  between  them  is 
filled  with  poles  of  bamboo,  or  of  the  light  wood  of  the 
hibiscus,  laid  parallel,  two  or  three  inches  apart,  over 
which  lighter  sticks  are  placed  horizontally,  at  regular 
intervals ;  the  whole  being  neatly  lashed  together  at  the 
points  of  intersection.  The  back  and  ends  are  filled  up 
in  the  same  manner,  and  thus  prepared  for  the  external 
covering.  This  is  of  thatch,  composed  either  of  the  leaf 
of  the  bread-fruit  tree,  the  cocoanut,  or  palmetto  —  Cha- 
mcerops  humilis  —  all  of  which  are  prepared  for  this  pur- 
pose in  different  methods.  The  cocoanut  leaf  is  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  feet  long,  and  deeply  feathered  on 
cither  side  of  the  rib  running  through  the  middle  of  it. 
This  rib  or  stem  is  split  from  end  to  end,  and  the  leaflets 
on  each  braided  closely  together,  forming  a  matting  of 
that  length,  and  one  and  a  half  or  two  feet  in  breadth. 


NUKAHIVA.  239 

Thus  prepared,  they  are  placed  on  the  rafters  double,  the 
higher  ranges  lapping  over  the  lower,  in  the  manner  of 
slate  or  shingles. 

" '  The  leaf  of  the  bread-fruit  is  two  feet  in  length,  one 
and  more  in  width,  and  deeply  indented.  It  is  prepared 
for  thatching  by  stringing  the  leaves  as  closely  as  possi- 
ble upon  a  rod  of  light  wood,  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  and 
half  an  inch  in  diameter,  through  a  slit  made  in  the  stem 
of  each  leaf ;  it  is  then  attached  to  the  roof  and  sides  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  cocoanut,  and  forms  a  more 
durable  and  better  thatch.  But  the  palmetto  affords  the 
valued  covering,  and  the  most  used,  especially  for  the 
roof,  wherever  found  in  sufficient  abundance.  Its  fan- 
like  leaves  are  fastened  one  by  one,  with  their  centers 
about  a  foot  from  each  other,  upon  long,  split  pieces  of 
the  hibiscus,  which  are  then  ranged  upon  the  roof,  six- 
teen or  eighteen  inches  apart,  and,  thus  disposed,  lap 
considerably,  every  way,  over  each  other.  All  these 
kinds  of  thatch,  instead  of  becoming  dark  and  sun- 
burned, like  the  grass  of  the  Hawaiian  huts,  bleach 
beautifully ;  and,  when  seen  at  a  distance,  gleam  among 
the  groves,  in  the  brightness  of  the  day,  like  neatly 
whitened  cottages  in  our  own  country. 

" '  The  fronts  of  the  habitations  are  seldom  thatched. 
Sometimes  they  are  entirely  open ;  in  which  case,  the 
timber  supporting  the  roof,  and  the  pillars  beneath,  are 
generally  neatly  hewn  and  ornamented  by  braids  of 
sennit,  of  various  colors,  tied  on  in  horizontal  stripes, 
in  diamonds,  or  in  checks,  in  a  pretty  and  fanciful 
manner.  In  most  of  the  houses,  however,  the  front  is 
composed  of  bamboos,  lashed  horizontally  to  the  pillars, 
at  intervals  of  an  inch  or  two,  or  in  lattice-work,  for  the 
admission  of  light ;  in  which  case  there  is  a  small  door 
in  the  middle,  furnished  with  a  shutter,  in  a  slide,  to  be 
closed  or  opened  at  pleasure.  Such  as  this  last  was  the 


240  NUKAHIVA. 

front,  and  such  the  door  by  which  the  officers  entered 
the  dwelling  of  HaapeV 

"  There  were  a  number  of  persons  in  the  house,  besides 
the  regent's  wife  and  female  relatives,  children,  and  ser- 
vants ;  some  sitting,  and  others  lying  and  lounging 
around.  All  of  the  women  wore  more  or  less  clothing, 
and  most  of  them  had  paid  particular  attention  to  their 
hair.  The  wife  of  Haape*,  a  fine-looking  and  graceful 
person,  was  nursing  a  child,  of  which  she  seemed  very 
fond. 

" '  In  every  house,'  the  Chaplain  explains, '  the  internal 
arrangement  is  the  same.  A  smooth  trunk  of  a  cocoanut 
tree  extends  the  whole  length,  a  foot  or  two  from  the 
farther  side.  At  an  interval  of  about  four  feet  another 
lies  parallel  to  it ;  and  the  space  between,  spread  with 
grass  and  covered  with  mats,  constitutes  the  bed  of  the 
whole  family  and  household ;  the  innermost  log  forming 
a  general  pillow,  and  the  second  a  support  for  the  lower 
limbs,  which  extend  over  it.  The  rest  of  the  area  is  a 
paved  floor,  a  foot  or  two  above  the  platform  without, 
upon  which  they  partake  of  their  meals,  and  perform 
their  indoor  work. 

" '  Calabashes  of  food  and  water,  wooden  bowls  and 
trays,  some  stone  adzes,  with  other  rude  implements, 
numerous  spears  and  war-clubs,  and  a  few  muskets 
sticking  in  the  thatch,  constituted  the  furniture  of  the 
establishment.' 

"  The  crowd  following  the  party  in,  added  to  the  heat 
and  closeness  of  the  house ;  and  this,  together  with 
swarms  of  flies  and  the  smell  of  cocoanut-oil,  soon  made 
them  very  uncomfortable ;  so  that,  after  a  few  expressions 
of  civility,  the  Captain  hastened  to  distribute  among  the 
chiefs  of  both  sexes  some  small,  but  to  them  valuable 
and  useful  presents,  and  then,  with  his  party,  hurried 
away.  It  was  noticed  that  the  presents  were  received 


NUKAHIVA.  241 

with  the  utmost  eagerness  and  cupidity,  and  with  an 
evident  jealousy  of  one  another ;  each  secreting  imme- 
diately, under  some  garment  or  beneath  him,  whatever 
was  placed  in  his  possession. 

"  Once  in  the  open  air,  they  determined  to  take  a  walk 
inland,  among  the  groves  and  plantations  of  the  valley. 
The  surface  of  the  lowland  they  found  uneven,  and 
entirely  covered  with  groves  of  the  bread-fruit,  cocoanut, 
and  various  other  trees,  with  scarce  a  sign  of  any  arti- 
ficial cultivation.  In  a  walk  of  more  than  a  mile,  they 
saw  one  or  two  small  inclosures  only,  containing  clusters 
of  the  cloth  plant  or  paper  mulberry,  sugar-cane,  and 
roots  of  the  draccena  terminalis,  and  a  few  tobacco 
plants ;  these,  however,  appeared  well  kept ;  and  the 
fences  surrounding  them  very  neatly  constructed  of 
bamboo,  lashed  horizontally  to  stakes  set  in  the  ground, 
with  cords  formed  of  the  shreds  of  the  cocoanut-shell. 

"  After  a  delightful  walk  of  some  miles,  they  came  to 
a  tahua  —  theater,  or  opera-house  —  a  large,  rectangular 
platform  of  stone  pavement,  surrounded  by  low  terraces 
also  laid  with  stone.  The  first  is  designed  for  the  public 
exhibitions  of  the  song  and  the  dance,  and  the  last  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  spectators  who  assemble  to 
witness  the  performance.  Entertainments  of  this  kind 
are  the  favorite  amusements  of  the  Marquesans,  and 
every  district  has  its  tahua,  or  public  theater,  some  of 
them  so  extensive,  it  is  said,  as  to  be  capable  of  accom- 
modating ten  thousand  people. 

"  They  next  came  to  a  meae,  or  temple,  which  they 
found  in  a  sadly  dilapidated  condition.  To  account  for 
its  ruinous  state,  the  natives  told  them  that  during  the 
past  year  they  had  been  at  war  with  the  Happahs,  that 
the  enemy  had  proved  victorious,  and  carried  their  spolia- 
tions even  to  the  temples  —  bearing  away  all  the  images, 
and  leaving  the  buildings  in  ruins.  No  attempt,  it  ap- 


242  NUKAHIVA. 

peared,  had  been  made  to  replace  the  idols,  or  repair 
their  former  dwellings  —  an  evidence  of  indifference  to 
the  symbols  of  their  superstitions  quite  surprising.  To 
the  same  cause  was  to  be  attributed  the  many  appear- 
ances of  neglect  and  decay  in  the  district,  and  the  mani- 
fest poverty  of  the  chiefs  and  people.  Haap6  himself 
was  in  a  state  of  vassalage,  and  the  whole  valley  in 
surveillance  to  Piarro,  the  chieftain  of  the  Happahs  — 
with  them  nominally  as  a  guest,  but  in  reality  as  ruler 
and  exactor  of  imposts. 

"  After  partaking  of  refreshments,  furnished  them  by 
the  chiefs,  they  retraced  their  steps,  amid  admiring 
crowds,  to  the  beach.  The 'Chaplain's  robes  and  scarf 
were  the  subjects  of  the  highest  attraction.  They  seemed 
to  take  the  fancy  of  the  people  even  more  than  the  glit- 
ter and  lace  of  his  companions ;  and  when  his  hands 
were  discovered  in  a  pair  of  black  kid  gloves,  stitched 
with  white,  he  could  scarce  free  himself  from  the  throngs 
gathering  round  with  wonder  and  delight.  They  ap- 
peared to  think  them  a  species  of  tattoo  inseparable 
from  the  hand ;  and  as  they  gazed  at,  and  felt  his 
fingers  through  them,  lmotaki!  motdki!*- — good!  good! 
in  tones  of  the  highest  satisfaction,  burst  from  a  hundred 
lips. 

"  The  writer,  after  intimating  that  they  at  length 
parted  with  their  simple  friends  on  the  beach  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  ship,  next  refers  to  the  taboo,  —  but  perhaps 
we  have  had  enough  on  that  subject  already?  "and  the 
Professor  regarded  his  auditors  with  a  questioning  look. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  exclaimed  Eugene  quickly  ;  "  please  go 
on  with  something  a  little  more  interesting." 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  interposed  his  brother;  "I  would 
like  very  much  to  know  what  the  author  has  to  say  as  to 
the  effect  of  the  taboo  on  the  women  and  common  people 
of  the  island." 


NUKAHIVA.  243 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  Professor,  "  he  observes  that, 
as  in  other  groups  where  this  system  prevails,  the  restric- 
tions of  the  taboo  particularly  affect  the  women  and  all 
of  the  common  class,  in  points  respecting  their  habita- 
tions and  food.  The  houses  of  the  men  of  the  tabooed 
class,  he  says,  can  never  be  entered  by  a  woman  or  other 
person  of  the  common  order ;  consequently,  the  wives  of 
such,  and  other  females  with  their  attendants  in  their 
families,  whether  in  a  stated  or  temporary  residence, 
have  separate  houses  for  cooking  and  eating.  But  though 
the  house  and  food  of  the  man  is  prohibited  to  them, 
theirs  are  all  free  to  him,  and  he  can  enter  them  at 
pleasure." 

"  Decidedly,  he  has  the  best  of  it,"  commented  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  continued  the  Professor,  "  and  in  regard  to 
food,  the  bread-fruit,  cocoanut,  yam,  and  various  mixed 
dishes  formed  of  these  articles,  with  most  kinds  of  fish, 
are  eaten  indiscriminately  by  both  classes,  except  such 
as  become  incidentally  tabooed  by  being  placed  in  a  bas- 
ket, calabash,  or  other  utensil  of  a  tabooed  person ;  all 
such  contact  consecrating  them  to  a  restricted  use.  But 
bananas,  hogs,  turtles,  cuttle-fish,  bonetta,  and  albacore, 
are  always  tabooed  to  those  not  belonging  to  the  privileged 
order." 

"  The  tabooed  class  are  very  jealous  of  their  dignity," 
observed  Captain  Bradford ;  "  you  can't  even  pass  any- 
thing over  the  head  of  one  of  them." 

"  That  is  true,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  on  this 
point  Stuart  says  :  '  Anything  passing  over  the  head  of  a 
person,  or  even  the  hand~  of  a  tabooed  man,  must  never 
itself  be  passed  over,  sat,  or  lain  upon.  To  suffer  this, 
would  be  a  profanation  of  it,  in  their  view,  which  would 
bring  the  displeasure  of  the  gods  upon  the  individual 
through  whom  it  became  restricted,  by  its  being  passed 
over  his  head.  Consequently,  when  this  infringement 


244  NUKAHIVA. 

takes  place,  whether  by  accident  or  design,  the  individual 
causing  the  profanation,  by  applying  the  article  to  any 
common  use,  becomes  an  object  of  revenge  to  the  other ; 
and  his  life  is  sought  as  the  only  atonement  for  his  care- 
lessness or  presumption.  Till  his  death  is  secured,  the 
person  through  whom  the  article  became  tabooed  is  sup- 
posed liable  to  the  power  of  some  fatal  disorder  or  the 
infliction  of  other  dreadful  calamities. 

" '  If  a  woman  steps  over,  or  lies  on  anything  which 
has  been  consecrated  by  passing  over  a  tabooed  man,  the 
article  thus  profaned  can  never  be  used  as  before,  and 
the  woman  must  be  put  to  death.  In  general,  however, 
the  chief  inconvenience  that  arises  from  this  incidental 
consecration  of  an  article,  is  the  restriction  of  its  par- 
ticular use.  For  instance,  if  a  tabooed  man  places  his 
hand  beneath  a  sleeping-mat,  it  can  never  be  used  as 
such  again ;  but  it  may  be  worn  as  a  mantle  or  fitted  to 
a  canoe  for  a  sail,  though  a  mantle  or  sail  —  having  been 
over  the  heads  of  others  —  cannot  be  used  as  a  sleeping- 
mat." 

"Well,  for  my  part,"  began  Eugene,  with  great  en- 
ergy, "I- 

"  There's  the  summons  to  lunch,  gentlemen ! "  ex- 
claimed the  Captain,  abruptly. 

"  And  a  very  good  point  to  leave  off  at,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, starting  to  his  feet. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MARQUESANS,   THEIR  HABITS  AND  AMUSEMENTS. 

WHEN  our  little  party  had  assembled  on  the  quar- 
ter-deck the  next  morning,  Eugene  suddenly  said : 

"  I  've  been  thinking  about  the  tahuas  or  theatres  that 
were  mentioned  yesterday  ;  I  'd  like  to  know  a  little  more 
about  them." 

"  I  think  pahooa  is  nearer  the  correct  pronunciation," 
observed  the  Captain. 

"  Ah,  you  know  something  about  them,  then  ?  "  rejoined 
Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  and  as  the  Professor  said,  you 
will  find  one  of  these  amphitheaters  in  every  village. 
They  are  generally  situated  in  a  sheltered  and  level  spot, 
surrounded  on  all  sides  with  rising  banks.  The  middle 
of  the  amphitheater  is  carefully  smoothed  and  covered 
with  mats,  and  the  rising  banks  serve  as  seats  for  the 
spectators.  When  a  dance  is  to  be  performed,  the  mats 
are  laid  afresh  and  a  large  amount  of  food  is  prepared. 
The  spectators  take  the  food  with  them,  and,  seated  on 
the  banks,  remain  there  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
the  day." 

"  Tell  us  something  about  the  dances." 

"To  tell  the  truth,  they  are  not  very  graceful,  and 
consist  principally  of  jumping,  without  moving  from  the 
same  spot.  Various  ornaments  are  used  by  the  dancers, 
the  most  curious  of  which  are  the  finger-rings,  which  are 
made  of  plaited  fiber,  adorned  with  long  tail-feathers 
of  the  tropic  bird.  When  women  dance  they  are  not 

(245) 


246       MARQUESANS,  THEIR    HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS. 

allowed  to  wear  clothing  of  any  description,  and  this  for 
a  curious  reason." 

"  What  can  the  reason  be,  I  should  like  to  know  ? " 
exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  Why,"  explained  the  Captain,  "  none  dance  except 
those  whose  husbands  or  brothers  have  been  killed  in 
war  or  taken  prisoners,  and  the  absence  of  clothing  is 
accepted  as  an  expression  of  sorrow  on  their  part,  and  of 
vengeance  on  the  part  of  the  spectators." 

"  Does  Stewart  have  anything  to  say  on  this  subject, 
Professor  ?  "  asked  Chester,  turning  to  the  palaeontologist. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  he  mentions  a  grand  entertain- 
ment, to  which  he  and  the  other  officers  of  the  Vincennes 
received  a  special  invitation." 

"  We^  would  like  to  hear  something  about  it." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Professor,  as  he  opened  the  little  vol- 
ume he  held  in  his  hand  and  glanced  through  its  pages, 
"  after  describing  their  long  and  tedious  walk,  and  refer- 
ring to  the  throng  of  gaily-dressed  natives  they  met  or 
overtook  by  the  way,  and  the  shouts  of  welcome  that 
greeted  them  on  their  arrival  at  the  theater,  he  says : 
'  The  whole  scene,  as  we  came  in  among  them  and  threw 
a  hasty  glance  around,  transported  us  at  once  to  the 
times  of  Cook  and  the  first  navigators  of  these  seas, 
when  the  discovery  of  the  existence  and  habits  of  a 
people  so  novel,  struck  them  with  a  surprise  and  charm 
amounting  almost  to  fascination. 

" '  The  grove  is  one  which  the  Muses  themselves  might 
covet.  Noble  and  majestic  trees  cluster  widely  round 
the  tahua  or  dancing  ground,  on  the  margin  of  the  moun- 
tain torrent.  Their  lofty  tops  so  thickly  interlace  each 
other  above,  as  completely  to  embower  the  whole  glen ; 
and  the  rays  of  the  torrid  sun,  beneath  which  we  had 
been  walking,  instead  of  striking  us  with  a  scorching 
glare,  fell  in  such  rich  and  grateful  mellowness  on  the 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS  AND   AMUSEMENTS.       247 

groups  below,  as  to  seem  but  the  moonlight  of  a  fairy 
land ;  an  illusion  which  the  sound  of  water,  as  if  spout- 
ing from  a  hundred  cool  fountains,  the  half-clad  figures, 
flowing  drapery,  and  sportive  manners  of  the  throng,  had 
little  tendency  to  break. 

" <  The  assembly  consisted  of  several  hundred  persons 
of  both  sexes,  in  all  the  display  of  dress  which  their  con- 
dition allows.  The  warriors  in  battle  array,  and  the 
dancers  in  their  fanciful  costumes,  were  the  most  con- 
spicuous objects ;  while  the  appearance  of  all,  especially 
that  of  the  females,  evidenced  great  attention  in  the 
preparations  of  the  toilet.  In  justice  to  the  Happahs,  I 
must  say,  that  in  many  instances  they  exhibited  proofs 
of  gracefulness  and  taste,  in  the  arrangement  of  their 
head-dresses  and  mantles,  that  would  have  gained  them 
credit  in  more  polished  circles  of  fashion  than  are  known 
in  their  sea-girt  isles. 

" '  White  appears  to  be  the  favorite  hue,  especially  for 
decorations  of  the  head.  Their  turbans  are  of  various 
shapes ;  the  most  common  consists  of  a  piece  of  native 
cloth,  of  the  size  of  an  ordinary  pocket-handkerchief, 
bound  closely  to  the  head,  having  the  ends  twisted  into  a 
large  knot  immediately  in  front  or  on  one  side  over  the 
temple.  The  ends  of  others  are  longer,  and  formed  into 
large  puffs  or  cockades  on  the  top  or  sides.  In  some 
there  is  an  opening  on  the  crown  for  the  hair,  which, 
tied  closely  to  the  head,  then  hangs  down  in  ringlets  on 
the  neck  and  shoulders.  Some  wear  fillets  or  bandeaus 
only,  either  with  or  without  bows  or  hanging  ends,  and 
many  leave  their  black  tresses  entirely  unconfined,  and 
flowing  carelessly  over  their  mantles. 

" '  The  pau,  or  native  petticoat,  is  much  less  worn  here 

than  at  the  Sandwich  Islands ;  and  often  the  only  dress 

of  the  females  is  the  large  kehei  or  mantle  in  which  the 

Hawaiians  wrap  themselves  in  the  coolness  of  the  even- 

11 


248       MARQUESANS,  THEIE   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS. 

ing  or  morning.  Here,  this  is  unfastened,  except  as 
gathered  round  the  figure  in  thick  folds  by  the  hands, 
over  both  shoulders  or  under  one  arm,  leaving  the  other 
uncovered.  When  it  became  deranged,  the  grasp  is  let 
go,  and  the  whole  readjusted,  though  often  at  a  sacrifice 
of  every  appearance  of  delicacy. 

" <  Till  now,  I  had  begun  to  doubt,  from  all  I  had  seen 
at  the  sea-side,  whether  the  natives  of  this  group  are  so 
decidedly  a  finer  race  and  handsomer  looking  people  than 
the  Society  and  Sandwich  Islanders,  as  they  are  generally 
accredited  to  be.  But  judging  from  those  seen  on  this 
occasion,  I  am  fully  persuaded  they  are ;  particularly  in 
the  female  sex.  Many  of  these  present  were  exceedingly 
beautiful ;  and  two  or  three,  so  strikingly  like  some  of 
the  most  distinguished  beauties  in  our  own  country  I  ever 
met,  that  the  first  glance  brought  them  to  my  recollec- 
tion. Their  eyes  have  a  rich  brilliancy,  softened  by  long, 
glossy  eye-lashes  that  can  scarce  be  surpassed ;  which, 
with  a  regularity  and  whiteness  of  teeth  unrivaled,  add 
greatly  to  the  impression  of  features  of  a  more  European 
mould  than  most  uncivilized  people  I  have  seen.  In 
complexion,  many  of  them  are  very  fair ;  scarce,  if  any, 
darker  than  a  clear  brunette,  admitting  even,  in  some 
cases,  of  a  distinct  mantling  of  color  in  the  cheek  and 
lips ;  while  in  figure,  they  are  small,  and  delicately 
formed,  with  arms  and  hands  that  would  bear  comparison 
with  any  in  the  drawing-rooms  of  the  most  polished 
noblesse. 

" '  The  arrival  of  our  party  could  scarce  fail  interrupt- 
ing the  songs  and  dance  a  few  moments  ;  and  for  a  time 
there  was  no  little  confusion  and  uproar.  But  after 
being  received  and  welcomed  by  the  chiefs,  and  placed 
in  seats  of  honor  and  of  good  observation  beside  them, 
they  were  quickly  renewed. 

" '  The  performers  in  the  part  we  witnessed,  were  a 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS.       249 

young  chief  eighteen  or  twenty  years  old  at  one  end  of 
the  arena,  and  two  boys  of  eight  or  ten  at  the  corners 
of  the  other.  The  music,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  was 
that  of  four  drums  on  each  side  of  the  inner  pavement, 
and  the  voices  and  loud  clapping  of  hands  of  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  singers,  seated  on  the  upper  platform 
with  the  chiefs  and  warriors.  The  drums  were  small, 
not  more  than  two  feet  and  a  half  in  height,  and  ten  or 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  formed  from  the  trunk  of  a 
kou  tree  (cordia),  hollowed  to  the  thickness  of  an  inch 
nearly  two-thirds  of  the  length  from  the  top.  They  were 
excavated  at  the  bottom  also,  leaving  a  partition  between 
the  two  with  a  small  hole  in  the  center.  The  heads  were 
of  shark  skin,  laced  on  with  flat  sennit  of  the  cocoanut 
fiber,  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  in  which  they  are 
tightened  in  common  drums  with  us.  They  stand  up- 
right on  the  ground  before  the  performer,  and  are  beaten 
with  the  hand  only,  in  rapid  strokes  of  the  fingers  joined 
together,  while  the  ball  rests  on  the  edge.  Around  the 
bottom  long  oval  holes  are  cut  vertically,  to  cause  an 
increase  of  sound. 

"'The  dance  commenced  by  a  slow  beating  on  the 
drums,  followed  by  graceful  movements  of  the  hands, 
arms,  and  feet  of  the  dancers  in  a  similar  time,  but 
increasing  quickly  with  the  rapidity  of  the  beat,  to  a 
display  of  great  activity.  The  singers  joined  in,  upon 
the  first  motions  of  the  dancers  ;  these  last  also  taking  a 
part,  sometimes  in  solos,  and  sometimes  in  duet,  followed 
by  responses  from  the  orchestra,  or  grand  choruses  by 
the  whole. 

"'The  principal  dancer  was  uncommonly  handsome, 
both  in  face  and  figure ;  of  great  roundness  of  limb,  and 
though  not  large,  admirably  proportioned.  The  use  of 
the  papaw,  and  seclusion  from  the  sun,  had  rendered 
him  almost  as  fair  as  any  one  of  our  number,  making  his 


250       MARQUESANS,  THEIE   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS. 

whole  style  more  that  of  an  Adonis  than  of  an  Apollo. 
His  dress  was  little  calculated  for  ornament.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  large  quantity  of  white  human  hair,  worn  high 
and  much  frizzled  around  his  head ;  of  heavy  bunches  of 
the  same  material,  but  black,  about  the  wrist  and  ankles ; 
and  of  a  profuse  quantity  of  white  cloth  around  the  loins 
as  a  maro.  That  of  the  boys  was  more  striking  and  fan- 
ciful. One  wore  on  his  head  the  feathered  helmet,  and 
other  decorations  of  the  ear  and  neck  of  a  warrior ;  the 
cap  and  plumage  being  of  a  height  equal  to  all  the  rest 
of  his  figure.  Above  his  girdle  was  a  full  sash  of  white 
cloth,  tied  in  a  large  bow  with  long  ends  in  front ;  and 
from  it  four  white  cords  of  platted  tapa,  two  behind 
and  two  before,  descended  to  the  knee,  each  terminating 
in  monstrous  tassels  of  black  hair,  fastened  to  flat,  circu- 
lar pieces  of  wood,  whitened  with  pipe  clay.  His  waist, 
wrists,  and  ankles  were  also  hung  with  the  same,  and  in 
either  hand  he  held  a  small  tuft  of  white. 

" '  The  head-dress  of  the  other  was  a  bandeau  of  white 
cloth,  in  a  thick  roll  over  the  forehead  ;  and  above  this,  a 
wreath  of  black  feathers,  surmounted  by  a  high  orna- 
ment of  white  tapa  gathered  into  folds  at  the  frontlet, 
and  spreading  above  into  a  large  cockade  in  the  shape  of 
a  peacock's  tail ;  the  whole  having  an  airy  and  tasteful 
appearance.  His  necklace  was  composed  of  alternate 
bunches  of  a  brightly  shining  aromatic  vine,  and  the 
flower  of  the  cape  jessamine ;  while  his  maro,  of  the 
purest  white,  arranged  in  neat  folds,  was  intertwined 
with  garlands  of  the  same. 

"'The  dance  ceased  at  the  end  of  twenty  or  thirty 
minutes ;  and  a  company  of  young  females,  forty  or  fifty 
in  number,  seated  on  an  adjoining  and  elevated  platform, 
began  singing,  in  the  dull  and  monotonous  repetitions  of 
the  same  intonations  of  voice  characterizing  all  their 
songs,  accompanied  by  a  loud  and  simultaneous  clapping 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS.       251 

of  the  hands,  brought  together  in  a  manner  to  produce 
a  very  peculiar  sound.  An  inquiry  into  the  meaning  of 
this,  made  us  acquainted  with  the  occasion  of  the  present 
celebration. 

'"The  learning  of  a  new  set  of  songs  had  been 
enjoined  some  months  previous  on  these  girls,  and  they 
were  placed  under  certain  restrictions  of  the  taboo  till  it 
should  be  accomplished.  This  had  now  been  done,  and 
the  dance  was  held  in  commemoration  of  it. 

" '  These  exhibitions  are  known  by  the  general  name 
of  koika.  They  are  celebrated  on  a  great  variety  of  occa- 
sions, but  the  most  noted  are  those  which  take  place  at 
the  ingathering  of  the  bread-fruit  harvests,  and  at  a  rati- 
fication of  peace,  when  two  or  more  tribes  have  been  at 
war.  Such  is  the  passion  of  the  people  for  the  amuse- 
ment, that  to  enjoy  it  they  not  only  make  the  longest 
and  most  fatiguing  journeys  from  all  parts  of  an  island, 
carrying  their  food  and  suffering  the  greatest  incon- 
venience, but  not  unfrequently  hazard  their  lives  by 
voyages  in  their  wretched  boats  to  other  islands ;  besides 
being  exposed,  while  there,  to  murder,  in  the  conflicts 
which  almost  invariably  arise  among  parties  from  differ- 
ent tribes,  at  their  close,  and  in  which  all  are  obliged,  on 
one  side  or  the  other,  to  take  part. 

" *  The  singers  by  profession,  called  kaioi,  are  the  poets 
and  composers,  as  well  as  performers  of  the  songs  sung 
on  these  occasions.  The  subjects  are  various,  often  fur- 
nished by  some  passing  event,  such  as  the  arrival  of  a 
ship,  or  any  less  novel  incident ;  and  not  unfrequently, 
like  ballads  in  our  own  country,  the  songs  become  exten- 
sively fashionable  and  popular,  and  are  sung  in  private ' 
by  all  classes.  In  almost  every  instance,  language  and 
allusions  of  the  most  objectionable  character,  as  is  the 
case  every  day  in  their  ordinary  conversation,  are  intro- 
duced; and  many  of  them  are  abominable,  almost  beyond 
belief. 


252       MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS  AND   AMUSEMENTS. 

" '  I  was  too  much  occupied  with  my  pencil  to  pay  very 
particular  attention  to  the  words  now  repeated ;  and  from 
previous  knowledge  on  this  subject,  was  well  satisfied  to 
remain  ignorant  of  them.  Before  they  had  concluded, 
the  throng  around  became  so  annoying  in  their  rudeness, 
and  every  appearance  indicated  such  a  disposition  to 
utter  licentiousness,  that  the  charm  at  first  felt  from 
the  novelty  and  wild  beauty  of  the  scene,  was  speedily 
broken ;  and  accompanied  by  one  or  two  others,  and  soon 
followed  by  all  the  party,  I  began  gladly  to  retrace  my 
way  to  the  ship. 

" '  A  principal  object  on  my  part,  in  making  the  excur- 
sion, was  to  see  pure  heathenism  —  heathenism  as  it  is 
before  one  ray  of  Christian  light  has  beamed  upon  its 
darkness  —  that  I  might,  from  the  observation  of  my 
own  eyes,  testify  to  its  true  character ;  and  that  object 
has  been  most  fully  answered.  Before  the  grossness  of 
one-half  that  was  forced  upon  me  had  passed  in  view,  I 
was  compelled  in  the  thoughts  of  my  very  soul  to  exclaim, 
1  Stop  —  it  is  enough ! '  but  I  had  gone  beyond  the  point 
of  escape,  and  the  whole  truth  in  its  abominable  details 
was  riveted  upon  me. 

" '  There  was  less  of  licentiousness  in  the  dance  than  I 
had  expected ;  but  in  a  hundred  things  else  there  were 
such  open  outrages  on  all  decency,  that  I  hurried  away 
in  a  horror  of  disgust,  -with  a  heart  too  much  humbled 
for  the  race  to  which  I  belong,  and  too  much  depressed 
at  the  depravity  and  guilt  of  man,  to  think  or  feel  upon 
any  other  subject.  At  first,  I  could  scarcely  find  spirits 
to  interchange  a  word  with  my  companions,  but  hastened 
on  before,  or  fell  far  behind,  that  the  oppression  within 
me  might  escape  their  notice.' " 

The  Professor  closed  the  book,  and  after  a  moment's 
silence,  Chester  said : 

"I  don't  wonder  the  good  chaplain  felt  terribly  op- 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS.        253 

pressed ;  and  for  my  part,  I  am  quite  ready  to  turn  to  a 
more  attractive  subject.  You  said  the  other  day,  Pro- 
fessor, that  this  people  had  no  history ;  did  you  mean 
also  to  say  that  they  had  no  traditions  ?  " 

"  I  hardly  meant  to  go  so  far  as  that,"  was  the  reply  ; 
but  all  the  traditions  they  possess  are  embodied  in  their 
sacred  songs.  These  give  a  fabulous  account  of  the 
origin  of  their  islands,  the  names  of  others  in  whose 
existence  they  believe,  the  genealogies  of  the  chiefs  from 
their  first  origin,  the  feats  of  their  heroes,  with  the  his- 
tories of  their  wars,  and  all  other  events  of  which  they 
profess  any  knowledge." 

"  What  account  do  they  give  of  their  origin  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  They  say  that  the  land  composing  their  islands  was 
once  located  in  Havaiki,  or  the  regions  below  —  the  place 
of  departed  spirits,  and  that  they  rose  from  thence  through 
the  efforts  of  a  god  beneath  them.  At  that  period,  they 
say,  there  was  no  sea ;  but  that  it  and  all  animal  and 
vegetable  productions  were  afterwards  born  of  a  woman ; 
and  that  originally  men  and  fish  were  locked  up  in  cav- 
erns in  the  depths  of  the  earth,  which  burst  with  a  great 
explosion,  leaving  the  men  upon  the  land,  and  casting 
the  fish  into  the  sea." 

"  That 's  a  queer  idea,"  commented  Eugene. 

"Do  they  have  any  positive  knowledge  of  the  distant 
islands  about  them  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  In  their  songs  they  enumerate  the  names  of  forty-four 
besides  their  own.  In  the  number  are  evidently  some  of 
the  Georgian  and  Tahitian  groups ;  and  the  description 
of  another  is  that  of  a  Lagoon  island,  to  which  none  of 
this  cluster  have  the  least  resemblance." 

"  There  are  other  traditions  ? " 

"  Yes ;  and  one  of  them,  respecting  these  foreign 
islands,  gives  an  account  of  the  introduction  of  the 
cocoanut  here." 


254       MARQUESANS,  THEIR    HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS. 

"  We  would  like  to  hear  that,"  said  Eugene. 

"  It  is  merely,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  that  a  god,  on 
a  visit  to  them  from  an  island,  which  they  call  Oatamaaua, 
finding  them  destitute  of  this  important  tree,  fetched  it 
to.  them  in  a  stone  canoe;  the  whole  transaction  being 
described  in  a  minute  and  equally  incredible  manner. 
They  have  similar  accounts  of  the  visits  of  the  gods  of 
other  islands ;  and  in  the  traditions  of  them,  we  find  the 
reason  of  their  calling  the  first  visitors  from  America 
and  Europe  atuas  (gods),  the  name  now  given  to  all 
foreigners." 

"  I  suppose,  then,"  said  Eugene,  "  Commodore  Porter 
was  looked  upon  by  them  as  a  very  great  god  indeed." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  and  he  was  held  in 
very  general  and  kind  remembrance  by  the  Tayehs.  The 
elder  chiefs  and  people  often  inquired  of  the  officers  of 
the  Vincennes  where  and  how  he  was,  and  whether  he 
would  ever  return  to  see  them,  and  the  younger  as  fre- 
quently asked,  referring  to  the  Captain,  whether  this 
chief  was  '  Opotee.' " 

"  Did  they  take  any  care  of  the  village  that  had  been 
built  for  him?" 

"  Stewart  and  another  officer  took  a  stroll  over  the 
ground  occupied  by  the  village,  one  afternoon.  It  was 
just  abreast  of  the  ship,  you  remember,  on  the  eastern 
shore.  He  says  a  small  plain,  skirted  and  studded  with 
thickets  and  coppices  of  hibiscus,  with  a  fine  sand  beach, 
lay  in  front  of  the  spot,  and  that  it  was  guarded  on  the 
side  toward  the  ocean  by  the  rocky  promontory  termin- 
ating in  the  East  Sentinel,  and  in  the  rear  by  steep  and 
wooded  acclivities.  The  whole  was  separated  from  the 
inhabited  parts  of  the  valley  by  a  spur  of  the  mountain 
and  a  small  round  hill,  jutting  into  the  bay  with  a  rocky 
base,  on  which  was  placed  the  breastwork  and  battery, 
which  commanded  every  approach  to  the  village.  Not  a 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR    HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS.        255 

trace  of  the  Commodore's  occupation,  however,  was  to  be 
discovered." 

"  Not  a  trace  anywhere ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  in  aston- 
ishment. 

"  No,"  replied  the  Professor.  "  A  kind  of  wild  cucum- 
ber, which  they  found  spread  widely  over  the  hills  in  the 
vicinity,  they  at  first  supposed  must  have  been  introduced 
by  him,  but  afterwards  learned  that  it  was  a  plant  indig- 
enous to  the  country,  and  one  capable  of  being  converted 
into  a  fine  pickle." 

"  Did  not  Stewart  visit  the  valley  of  the  Typees  during 
his  stay  ?  "  asked  Chester,  presently. 

"  Yes,"  responded  the  Professor ;  "  and  notes  many 
things  of  interest  that  came  under  his  observation  there." 

"Did  he  make  the  trip  by  land,  crossing  the  moun- 
tains, and  all  that  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  No ;  Captain  Finch,  of  the  Vincennes,  in  order  that 
the  Typees  might  have  no  reason  for  supposing  him  any 
more  the  friend  of  the  other  tribes  than  he  was  theirs, 
removed  the  ship  to  their  waters,  taking  with  him  the 
young  prince  Moana  and  most  of  the  principal  chiefs  of 
the  Tayehs  and  Happahs." 

"  Ah !  I  see ;  and  that  pleased  the  Typees,  no  doubt." 

"At  first  the  appearance  of  the  ship  in  their  har- 
bor was  regarded  with  suspicion  by  them ;  few  of  the 
natives  were  anywhere  to  be  seen,  and  none  except  at  a 
distance.  '  We  were  not  surprised  at  this,'  says  Stewart ; 
4  nor  to  learn,  as  we  since  have,  that  it  was  believed  we 
had  come  only  for  war.  By  established  and  universal 
usage  at  this  group,'  —  as  you  will  remember  Porter  tells 
us,  — '  any  member  of  a  tribe  nearly  related  by  blood  or 
marriage  to  persons  in  another,  may,  in  times  of  war  as 
well  as  peace,  pass  with  impunity  from  the  territories  of 
one  to  those  of  another,  and  be  regarded  as  a  friend. 
Acquainted  with  this  fact,  we  had  brought  with  us  a 
11* 


256       MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS. 

native  Typee  who  had  married  a  woman  at  Tieuhoy,  and 
was  residing  there;  and,  hoisting  a  white  flag  at  the  fore- 
mast head,  we  landed  him  on  the  rocks  abreast  the  ship, 
as  a  messenger  of  peace.  Morrison,  the  interpreter,  was 
also  dispatched  in  a  boat  to  the  beach,  to  give  assurance 
to  the  chief  personages  of  our  pacific  intentions,  and  to 
invite  them  to  an  interview  with  the  captain.  These 
manifestations  of  good  will  soon  brought  a  canoe  or  two 
alongside,  with  cocoanuts  for  barter ;  and  in  the  course 
of  an  hour,  mjany  men  and  boys  swam  off,  and  came  on 
deck. 

"  '  The  rain  poured  in  torrents  for  two  or  three  hours 
in  the  afternoon,'  says  Stewart,  '  but  ceased  in  time  for 
"  the  chief  of  the  gods "  —  the  style  of  the  Tauas,  ac- 
cording to  Morrison  —  accompanied  by  his  compeer  in 
civil  life,  to  come  on  board  before  night.  They  were  less 
imposing  in  their  personal  appearance  than  any  of  the 
higher  classes  we  had  seen,  not  differing,  either  in  figure 
or  address,  from  the  most  common  of  their  fellows. 
There  was  no  attempt  at  a  display  of  costume  or  orna- 
ment in  either,  except  a  full  wreath  of  red  and  white 
feathers  much  soiled,  in  alternate  bunches  over  the  fore- 
head and  temples  of  the  Taua.  They  quite  amused  us, 
in  expressing  the  fears  they  had  entertained  on  seeing  us 
approach,  fully  believing,  as  they  said,  that  "  like  Opotee 
we  were  coming  in  war  only."  This  persuasion  was  the 
greater,  from  a  ruse  de  guerre  practiced  on  them  by  the 
Happahs.  These  last,  after  learning  from  the  captain 
that  he  should  visit  the  bay  of  Oomi,  though  only  for 
purposes  of  peace,  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Typees  to 
excite  a  panic  through  our  means,  if  they  could  secure 
nothing  more  effectual,  by  spreading  the  intelligence  that 
Opotee's  ship  was  coining  up  to  attack  them  by  water, 
while  they  and  the  Tayehs  were  to  fall  upon  them  by 
land.  In  consequence  of  this  rumor,  they  had  been 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS  AND   AMUSEMENTS.       257 

busily  engaged  in  throwing  up  a  breastwork  of  stone 
across  the  front  of  the  valley,  which  they  pointed  out,  as 
some  little  defense,  in  case  of  our  invasion.  After  mak- 
ing known  these  impressions  and  fears  to  the  captain, 
and  expressing  their  joy  at  finding  them  groundless,  they 
said^:  "  Now  all  is  right,  you  come  in  peace ;  have  brought 
Moana  our  king  with  you ;  and  our  valley  and  all  it  con- 
tains is  yours.  Yourself  and  ship's  company  may  land 
at  any  time  in  perfect  safety,  and  take  whatever  you 
please." 

"*  Captain  Finch  then  fully  explained  to  them  his 
views,  in  the  manner  he  had  already  to  the  other  chiefs ; 
and  urged  on  them  the  importance  of  following  his 
advice,  instead  of  continuing  to  shed  the  blood  of  their 
fellows,  and  of  devastating  each  others'  valleys.  At  every 
sentence,  they,  with  great  animation  and  seeming  pleas- 
ure, exclaimed  — "  motaki !  motaki !  "  It  is  good  —  it  is 
right ;  adding,  "  but  you  are  the  only  chief  that  ever 
talked  to  us  in  this  manner  and  gave  us  such  advice. 
This  is  the  first  ship  in  which  we  were  ever  told  that  it 
is  wrong  to  fight ;  with  Opotee  it  was  all  fight ! "  He 
told  them  that  whatever  others  might  have  thought  it 
necessary  and  expedient  to  do,  war  was  one  of  the 
greatest  of  evils ;  and  pointing  to  the  heavy  guns  of 
our  battery,  to  the  muskets  and  cutlasses,  battle-axes 
and  boarding-pikes  of  our  well-guarded  ship,  assured 
them  that  all  this  array  was  not  designed  to  promote 
bloodshed  and  war,  but  to  secure  peace,  both  at  home 
and  abroad. 

" '  They  manifested  great  intelligence  and  deep  interest 
in  the  subject ;  and,  as  argument  after  argument  was 
pressed  upon  them,  with  an  earnestness  that  elicited  the 
closest  attention,  and  a  disinterestedness  that  proved 
itself  to  them  to  be  sincere,'  my  own  feelings  became 
deeply  enlisted.  The  scene  exhibited  was  one  of  no 


258       MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS. 

ordinary  character ;  a  captain  of  a  vessel  of  war,  in  the 
cabin  of  his  battle-ship,  surrounded  by  chieftains  and 
warriors  stained  with  each  other's  blood,  unfolding  the 
miseries  attendant  on  the  prosecution  of  violence  and 
war ;  and  importuning  them  to  friendship  and  lasting 
peace,  while  they  hung  on  his  lips,  seemingly  with  the 
delight  of  children  listening  to  a  new-told  tale. 

" '  So  highly  were  the  Typees  pleased,  and  so  com- 
pletely was  their  confidence  won,  that  they  voluntarily 
proposed  to  sleep  on  board  the  Vincennes,  that  they 
might  be  in  readiness  to  escort  us  on  shore  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  and  show  us  every  attention  in  their  power.'  Places 
were  prepared  for  them,  but  owing  to  the  strong  winds 
which  swept  down  upon  the  ship  from  the  eastern  hills, 
no  one  passed  a  very  agreeable  night. 

"  At  ten  o'clock  they  went  on  shore ;  the  high-priest, 
the  civil  chieftain,  the  Prince  Moana,  and  the  chaplain 
accompanying  the  captain  in  his  gig,  and  many  of  the 
other  officers,  with  a  guard  of  marines,  following  in  the 
first  and  second  cutters,  all  in  official  dress;  'and,'  says 
Stewart, '  observing  as  much  ceremony  as  we  should  in 
attending  a  court  in  Europe.  This,'  he  remarks,  *  might 
be  thought  by  many  unnecessary,  and  out  of  place,  in 
the  visit  of  an  hour  to  one  of  the  most  uncivilized  tribes 
of  the  South  Seas ;  but,  when  viewed  in  connection  with 
its  circumstances  arid  design,  it  evidently  was  not  only 
proper,  but  decidedly  advisable. 

"'We  early  had  direct  proof  of  the  wisdom  of  this 
determination,'  he  adds,  '  and  of  the  capacity  of  these 
savage  chieftains  rightly  to  appreciate  the  dress  and 
etiquette  of  a  ceremonious  visit,  in  comparison  with  a 
common-place  and  informal  call,  in  the  disappointment 
and  chagrin  openly  expressed  by  the  Taua  of  Taioa, 
because  the  parties  visiting  his  valley  and  people  went 
in  the  undress  suitable  for  a  picnic,  and  not  in  the  dis- 
play in  which  he  had  first  met  us  at  Tieuhoy.' " 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR.  HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS.        259 

"  Oh,  bother ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  let  them  put  on 
all  the  fuss  and  feathers  they  like  ;  but  do  get  them  safe 
on  shore." 

"  Very  good,"  smiled  the  Professor.  " '  The  beach,' 
he  says,  '  was  not  much  thronged  when  we  landed ; 
great  numbers  of  the  men  being  on  board  the  Vincennes 
with  cocoanuts  and  different  articles  for  barter,  while 
crowds  of  females  covered  the  rocks  abreast  of  her ;  and 
could  not  make  their  way  to  the  place  of  landing  as 
rapidly  as  we  did.  The  Taua  conducted  us  to  his  house, 
a  few  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  stone-wall  across 
the  front  of  the  valley.  It  is  a  large  building  of  the 
usual  construction,  darkened  by  the  thickness  of  the 
groves  overhanging  it,  and  the  luxuriance  of  the  various 
growth  within  its  inclosures.  Here,  upon  their  own  ter- 
ritory, and  within  one  of  their  own  dwellings,  surrounded 
by  their  wives  and  children  and  in  presence  of  the  officers 
of  our  party,  Captain  Finch  chose  again  to  enforce  on 
them  the  various  advice  previously  given,  before  distribut- 
ing the  cloth,  calicoes,  iron  implements,  and  so  forth, 
brought  on  shore  for  the  purpose.  They  reiterated  their 
cordial  approbation  of  his  sentiments ;  said  they  were 
good,  and  such  as  no  other  person  had  ever  suggested 
to  them ;  that  they  would  gladly  make  peace  with  the 
other  tribes,  and  be  happy  to  dwell  hereafter  in  harmony 
and  friendship. 

" '  They  admitted  the  practice  of  stealing  from  other 
tribes  victims  to  offer  in  sacrifice ;  and  excused  them- 
selves by  saying  that  the  Happahs  and  Tayehs  were 
guilty  of  the  same  outrage  against  them.  In  answer  to 
the  direct  question,  whether  it  were  true  that  they  did 
eat  the  bodies  of  their  enemies,  and  of  prisoners  taken  in 
battle,  they  without  a  moment's  hesitation  declared  posi- 
tively and  repeatedly  that  they  did.  On  expressing  our 
horror  at  such  an  abomination,  they  said  they  would  do 


260       MARQUESANS,  THEIR    HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS. 

so  no  more ;  and  the  Taua  added,  that  he  would  interdict 
the  sacrifice  of  human  victims  at  his  death,  so  that  there 
need  be  no  occasion  then  for  the  inhuman  crime  of  man- 
stealing. 

" *  Ascertaining  that  there  was  a  meae  or  temple  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  after  finishing  the  conversation  we 
walked  to  it.  The  principal  building  was  empty,  but 
strewed  with  the  fragments  of  different  vegetable  offer- 
ings ;  while  in  a  smaller  house  adjoining,  there  were 
three  rudely  carved  idols  similar  to  all  we  had  before 
seen,  except  that  one  was  a  Janus  JBifrons,  the  first 
double-faced  god  we  have  met. 

" '  The  thick  and  heavy  groves  of  bread-fruit,  overtopped 
by  the  more  lofty  cocoanut,  and  the  rankness  of  all  the 
undergrowth,  entirely  intercepted  the  air  from  the  sea- 
side ;  and  finding  the  walking  wet  and  unpleasant,  and 
the  heat  very  oppressive,  we  soon  prepared  to  rejoin  our 
boats. 

" '  On  emerging  from  the  thickets,  we  found  the  change 
from  the  damp  and  heated  atmosphere  within,  to  the 
freshness  of  a  delightful  sea-breeze  on  the  beach,  so 
grateful  that  we  stopped  half  an  hour  under  the  shade  of 
a  clump  of  the  hibiscus,  the  better  to  enjoy  it ;  and  soon 
had  a  subject  for  contemplation  in  the  crowds  of  both 
sexes  and  of  every  age,  which  gathered  round  in  all  their 
rudeness,  to  gaze  and  admire,  and  express  their  good  will 
in  noisy  exclamations  and  merriment.  The  variety  in 
admirably  modeled  figures,  in  costume  and  savage  orna- 
ments, thus  presented,  would  have  made  a  desirable 
study  for  a  master.  I  busied  myself  in  seizing  the  out- 
lines of  some  of  the  most  striking  objects,  till  our  boats 
were  called  in  from  beyond  the  surf. 

"'Our  departure  afforded  another  interesting  sketch. 
As  we  lay  upon  our  oars,  after  gaining  the  smooth  water, 
waiting  the  safe  embarkation  of  the  whole  suite,  we  had 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS.        261 

a  full  and  beautiful  view  of  the  semi-circular  beach  sweep- 
ing round  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  with  its  richly  topped 
groves  and  overhanging  mountains.  Many  hundreds  of 
the  islanders  covered  the  shore ;  some  entirely  naked, 
many  nearly  so,  while  others  appeared  in  war-caps  of 
feathers  playing  gaily  in  the  breeze,  and  in  tufted  tur- 
bans and  other  fanciful  head-dresses,  below  which  their 
mantles  of  various  hues  floated  gracefully  about  their 
limbs ;  all  mingled  in  one  living  mass,  from  children  still 
in  their  mother's  arms,  to  withered  dames  of  three-score 
years  and  ten,  and  veteran  warriors  with  snowy  locks 
and  fleecy  beard,  seeming  to  need  the  spears  they  held 
for  staves  to  support  the  decrepitude  of  their  tottering 
frames,  rather  than  as  weapons  of  defense  against  an 
enemy.  Among  them  might  here  and  there  be  dis- 
cerned the  glittering  buttons,  epaulets,  and  laced  hat  of 
an  officer  thickly  thronged ;  or  the  less  expensive  but 
gayer  uniform  of  a  marine,  affording  a  strong  contrast  to 
the  wild  islander,  with  his  tattooed  skin,  savage  orna- 
ments, unlanced  spear,  and  war  club  tufted  with  the  hair 
of  enemies  slain  by  him  in  battle. 

" '  It  was  one  of  the  most  characteristic  and  novel 
scenes  we  had  witnessed  at  the  island ;  and  fixed  our 
gaze  till  we  had  nearly  reached  the  ship. 

" '  In  the  afternoon,'  he  says, '  I  went  on  shore  again,' 
intending  to  spend  an  hour  in  sketching ;  but  a  friendly 
native,  whom  I  had  seen  in  the  train  of  a  chief  in  the 
morning,  urged  me  to  go  with  him  up  the  valley,  to  see, 
as  he  expressed  it,  "  the  country  of  the  young  king 
Moana;"  and  notwithstanding  the  terrific  character  given 
us  of  the  Typees,  I  committed  myself  to  his  guidance, 
and  walked  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  inland.  The 
valley  is  watered  in  its  whole  length  by  a  pure  and  lively 
stream ;  and  everywhere  exhibits  the  same  richness  of 
soil  and  heavy  growth  seen  on  the  beach.  Judging  from 


262       MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND    AMUSEMENTS. 

the  number  of  dwellings,  it  must  contain  a  large  popula- 
tion ;  though  from  the  ship  it  appears  very  contracted  in 
its  boundaries.  I  saw  two  houses  only  that  seemed  of  a 
religious  character,  one  a  burial-place  with  the  shrines 
and  bier  of  the  dead,  adjoining  a  building  containing,  as 
usual,  three  idols ;  and  the  other  a  taboo-house  of  some 
person  of  distinction,  on  an  elevated  platform,  at  the 
corners  of  which  were  two  images  of  stone,  green  with 
the  moss  which  time  had  spread  over  them. 

" '  The  Tahua,  or  dancing-ground,  about  a  mile  from 
the  shore,  is  as  regular  and  well  built  as  that  in  the 
upper  valley  of  the  Happahs ;  and  one  of  the  dwelling- 
houses  near  is  larger,  more  neatly  built  and  ornamented, 
than  any  seen,  either  at  Tieuhoy  or  Taioa.  I  stopped 
to  take  a  drawing  of  it,  much  to  the  amazement  of  the 
people  around,  and  to  their  seeming  admiration,  when, 
on  showing  it  to  them,  they  recognized  the  sketch,  and 
probably  understood,  in  some  degree,  the  design  in 
taking  it. 

" '  After  having  crossed  the  mountain  torrent  several 
times,  on  the  back  of  my  kind  and  attentive  guide,  and 
gone  the  distance  mentioned,  a  native  overtook  us,  walk- 
ing rapidly  and  talking  loudly  and  angrily  with  my 
companion,  without  noticing  anything  said  by  me.  The 
latter  immediately  manifested  some  uneasiness,  and  said, 
"  Let  us  return."  On  asking  why,  the  only  answer  I 
could  get  was:  "  Let  us  go  to  the  sea-side,"  —  and  taking 
me  by  the  hand  he  hurried  on.  Though  many  we  met 
exchanged  a  friendly  "aloha"  with  me  on  passing,  with 
as  much  kindness  as  usuul,  I  perceived  from  the  sour  and 
angry  looks  of  others,  that  all  was  not  right ;  and  was 
confirmed  in  the  belief,  as  a  large,  fierce-looking  fellow, 
seated  between  the  stone  images  at  the  taboo-house  men- 
tioned, scowled  on  me  like  a  demon,  without  taking  the 
least  notice  of  my  salutation.  All  the  explanation  I 
could  get  from  the  guide  was,  "Kakino  !  "  "It  is  bad  !  "  as 


MARQUESANS,  THEIR   HABITS   AND   AMUSEMENTS.        2G3 

he  hastened  me  forward,  in  evident  apprehension  till  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  ship,  and  to  the  beach,  where  the 
boat  had  already  arrived,  and  those  on  shore  were  begin- 
ning to  assemble.' " 

"  What  was  the  trouble,  I  wonder  ? "  asked  Eugene, 
with  interest. 

"Ah!  that  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  tell  you," 
answered  the  Professor :  "  and  more  than  the  chaplain 
could  tell  you,  either ;  for  he  says,  in  conclusion :  '  I  have 
not  yet  learned  the  cause  of  anxiety  expressed  by  my 
conductor,  or  of  the  manifest  ill  will  exhibited  by  many 
met  on  our  return.' " 

"  That 's  all  he  has  to  say,  then  ?  "  exclaimed  Eugene, 
in  some  surprise. 

"  Oh,  no ;  he  mentions  the  bay  of  Oomi,  and  has  much 
to  say  of  the  beautiful  valley  of  Hakapaa.  He  also  gives 
an  interesting  account  of  a  visit  to  Tana-tini,  the  Prophet 
of  the  Happahs,  in  whose  favor  all  the  officers  were  very 
much  prepossessed." 

"  Let  us  hear  — 

"  Sail  ho ! "  rang  out  the  clear  voice  of  the  lookout 
forward. 

"  Where  away  ?  "  called  the  Captain,  as  he  hastily  left 
the  quarter-deck. 

"  Almost  dead  ahead,  sir." 

"  Can  you  make  her  out  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

The  Captain  took  the  glass  offered  him  by  Mr.  Cook, 
and  ran  up  the  ratlines  of  the  foremast. 

Presently  the  lookout  exclaimed : 

"  I  make  her  out  now,  sir ;  a  schooner,  and  American 
built." 

"  You  're  right,  Rawdon,"  said  the  Captain,  in  a  tone 
of  satisfaction ;  "  that's  the  conclusion  I  had  come  to," 
and  descending  to  the  deck,  he  hastened  to  rejoin  his 
passengers. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CORALS  — ATOLLS. 

"FT  'S  a  schooner  ahead  of  us  ? "  said  Eugene,  eager- 
1      ly,  as  the  Captain  approached. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer,  "  and  American  built,  as  I  am 
sure  the  Rover  was." 

"  And  you  think  it  may  be  her  ?  " 

"  I  am  confident  it  is." 

" Then," .  cried  Eugene,  now  all  excitement,  "let  us 
overhaul  her  in  short  order." 

"  We  shall  not  be  long  in  doing  that,"  smiled  the  Cap- 
tain. "  There 's  nothing  in  these  waters  that  can  get 
away  from  the  Albatross  ;  certainly  nothing  that  depends 
on  the  wind  alone  for  motive  power." 

But  none  the  less,  the  chase  now  became  an  exciting 
one ;  and  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  schooner,  as  they 
drew  nearer  and  nearer. 

At  length  the  Albatross  showed  her  colors,  and  signaled 
that  she  wanted  to  speak  the  other  vessel. 

Almost  immediately  the  schooner  raised  the  stars  and 
stripes,  and  hove  to.  In  a  short  time  the  two  vessels 
were  within  speaking  distance. 

"  What  schooner  is  that  ? "  called  Captain  Bradford, 
through  his  trumpet. 

"  The  Columbia  of  Portland ;  Simpson,  master,"  came 
hack  the  answer. 

"  Where  from  and  where  bound  ? "  was  the  next  ques- 
tion. 

"  From  San  Francisco  to  the  Samoas,"  was  the  reply. 

(264) 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS..  265 

"Have  you  seen  anything  of  the  schooner  Rover; 
Thompson,  master  ? "  asked  the  Captain. 

"  No,"  returned  Simpson  ;  "  but  gammed  with  the  Ma- 
ria Watson,  of  New  Bedford,  yesterday,  and  she  had  just 
parted  company  with  her." 

"  What  did  the  Watson  learn  ? " 

"  That  the  Rover  was  from  the  Galapagos  last,  and 
bound  to  the  Marquesas,  and  from  thence  to  the  Low 
Archipelago." 

"  The  Low  Archipelago ! "  exclaimed  the  Captain  and 
his  passengers,  in  a  breath. 

"Why,  yes,"  answered  the  master  of  the  Columbia, 
in  some  surprise ;  for  the  yacht  and  schooner  were  now 
so  near  each  other  that  all  that  was  said  on  board  one 
could  readily  be  heard  on  board  the  other.  Then  think- 
ing it  his  turn  to  question,  he  asked. 

"  What  steamer  is  that  ? " 

"  The  Albatross,  a  pleasure  yacht ;  Bradford,  master," 
was  the  reply. 

"  Ah !  I  've  heard  of  you."  said  the  other,  quickly, 
"  you  're  hunting  for  a  man  lost  somewhere  in  this  broad 
ocean." 

"  Exactly.     Can  you  help  us  to  find  him  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.     Where  are  you  bound  now  ?  " 

"  To  the  Marquesas." 

"  Well,  after  that  try  the  Low  Islands,  and  then 
Tahiti." 

"  I  think  that 's  very  good  advice." 

"  But,"  said  Simpson,  suddenly,  "  I  'm  thinking  you  '11 
get  in  to  the  Marquesas  ahead  of  your  game." 

"  Ah ! "  rejoined  Captain  Bradford,  "  we  had  thought 
it  more  than  likely." 

"Well,  then,"  pursued  the  mr.ster  of  the  Columbia, 
"  wait  there  awhile  ;  and  I  reckon,  if  you  keep  up  the 
waiting  and  searching  long  enough,  you  '11  find  your 
man  at  last," 


266  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

"  It 's  to  be  hoped  so,"  responded  the  Captain,  and  as 
nothing  more  was  to  be  learned  from  the  schooner,  the 
two  vessels  parted  company. 

The  information  obtained,  while  it  was  not  all  they 
could  have  wished,  was  quite  enough  to  turn  the  cur- 
rent of  thought  wholly  toward  Lyman  Pierpont  and  the 
chances  of  falling  in  with  him  during  the  next  day  or  so. 
A  sharp  lookout  was  therefore  kept  up,  and  a  liberal 
reward  promised  to  the  man  who  should  be  the  first  to 
report  the  Rover ;  but  day  after  day  went  by,  and  not  a 
single  vessel  was  seen ;  nothing  of  importance  occurred, 
until  at  last  the  brothers  were  almost  startled  to  learn 
that  Uahuga  was  in  plain  sight  from  the  quarter-deck. 

With  what  interest  they  viewed  this  beautiful  isle,  the 
reader  can  easily  imagine.  They  longed  to  stop  there 
for  a  little  while,  but  the  Captain  was  anxious  to  reach 
the  bay  of  Tieuhoy ;  and  so  they  steamed  steadily  on, 
and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  dropped  anchor  near 
the  very  spot  where  the  Essex,  and  later  the  Vincennes, 
had  laid. 

They  were  not  obliged  to  go  on  shore  that  night  in 
order  to  obtain  information ;  for  the  Albatross  was  speed- 
ily overrun  with  natives  of  both  sexes,  and  even  a  few 
Frenchmen,  including  the  representative  of  the  French 
government,  were  among  the  visitors. 

Of  course  nothing  had  been  seen  or  heard  of  the 
Rover;  the  steamer  had  outsailed  her,  and  it  was  decided 
that  the  best  plan  was  to  remain  quietly  at  anchor  until 
the  schooner  should  come  in. 

The  brothers  were  well  satisfied  with  this  decision, 
and  promised  themselves  a  week,  at  least,  of  unalloyed 
pleasure. 

The  run  on  shore  commenced  with  the  next  morning. 
The  Professor,  the  Captain,  and  Seth  Cook,  helped  to 
make  up  the  party.  Mr.  Morgan  remained  with  the 


COEALS  —  ATOLLS.  267 

yacht,  to  be  on  hand  in  case  the  Rover  should  unexpect- 
edly come  into  the  bay. 

Hardly  had  the  little  party  landed  when  they  were 
accosted  by  an  American  gentleman  named  Clark,  who, 
for  a  year  or  more,  had  made  the  island  his  home.  He 
greeted  them  cordially,  invited  them  to  his  house,  and 
afterwards  acted  as  their  guide  and  interpreter  during 
their  extended  excursion  through  the  island. 

They  everywhere  found  the  country  and  people  very 
much  as  Stewart  had  described  them.  Eugene,  in  par- 
ticular, was  disappointed  in  not  being  able  to  discover 
more  signs  of  advancement  among  the  natives ;  but  this 
lack  of  progress,  Mr.  Clark  emphatically  declared  to  be 
due,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  pernicious  influence  of 
the  French.  He  said  that,  whereas  the  influence  of  the 
Americans,  and  particularly  the  American  missionaries, 
and  those  sent  by  them  from  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  had 
been  for  good,  that  wherever  the  islanders  had  come  in 
contact  with  the  French,  even  with  their  priests,  the 
influence  had  all  been  the  other  way.  He  said  it  was  a 
sin  and  a  sh'ame  that  France,  with  her  loose  ideas  of 
morality  and  right,  should  have  been  permitted  to  gain 
such  a  foothold  as  she  possessed  in  the  fair  islands  of 
the  Pacific ;  and  he  blamed  the  United  States  and  Eng- 
land very  much  for  having  suffered  it,  by  apathy  on  the 
part  of  the  former,  and  from  selfish  motives  in  the  case 
of  the  latter. 

The  end  of  the  week  found  the  little  party  among  the 
Typees  and  their  ancient  allies  of  the  valley  of  Hannahow. 
They  had  enjoyed  their  visit  here  very  much,  and  were 
just  preparing  to  return  to  Tieuhoy  by  another  and  more 
circuitous  route,  when  a  native  messenger  was  announced. 

He  had  come  with  all  speed,  and  brought  a  letter  from 
Jasper  Morgan.  It  was  very  brief,  and  ran  as  follows : 

"  The  Rover  arrived  an  hour  ago ;  she  is  now  lying  at 


268  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

anchor  in  the  bay.  Have  seen  'George  Thompson;'  he 
is  not  communicative.  Return  at  once ;  no  telling  how 
long  the  schooner  will  remain  here. 

"  Yours,  in  haste,  MORGAN." 

The  Captain  and  his  party,  without  loss  of  time,  set 
out  on  the  return  journey.  They  did  not  take  the  route 
they  had  previously  decided  upon,  but  followed  the  same 
path  Porter  and  his  men  had  trod  more  than  seventy 
years  before.  But  although  they  exerted  themselves  to 
the  utmost,  it  was  far  into  the  night  when  they  at  last 
reached  the  Tieuhoy  valley,  and  saw  Mr.  Morgan  and  a 
boat's  crew  on  the  beach  waiting  for  them. 

"  Make  haste !  make  haste ! "  cried  the  first  mate, 
impatiently ;  "  the  Rover  left  her  anchorage  more  than 
an  hour  ago." 

"  Left  more  than  an  hour  ago  ! "  echoed  the  brothers, 
in  dismay. 

"  Yes  ;  and  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that 
I  was  able  to  learn  that  she  has  gone  to  Uapoa." 

"  You  are  sure  of  her  destination  ? "  asked  Captain 
Bradford,  eagerly,  as  he  sprang  into  the  boat. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  mate,  as  he  made  room  for  the 
other  members  of  the  party ;  "  I  paid  liberally  for  the 
information." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  the  Professor,  mildly. 

"  Why,"  explained  the  mate,  "  Thompson  disposed  of  a 
part  of  his  cargo  to  the  French  official  here,  and  I  sus- 
pected he  would  know  where  the  Mover  had  gone  with 
the  rest.  I  went  to  him.  Money  will  do  anything  with 
these  Frenchmen.  He  knew  what  I  wanted  to  learn,  and 
I  bought  the  secret." 

By  this  time  they  were  all  seated  in  the  boat;  and 
having  bid  Mr.  Clark  a  warm  but  hurried  good-bye,  the 
sailors  pulled  away  for  the  yacht. 

Steam  was  already  up,  and  once  on  board,  the  anchor 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  269 

was  raised,  and  the  beautiful  vessel  glided  swiftly  out  of 
the  bay. 

Uapoa  was  but  twenty  miles  to  the  south,  and  they 
soon  came  up  with  it ;  but  now  arose  a  difficulty  :  It  was 
too  dark  to  distinguish  the  coast  line,  much  less  a  small 
vessel  lying  in  any  of  the  sheltered  coves.  Then,  too, 
there  were  some  dangerous  reefs  to  be  avoided.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  wait  for  daylight.  They  might 
just  as  well  have  remained  in  Tieuhoy  Bay. 

It  was  an  anxious  night.  The  Professor  and  his 
companions  blamed  themselves  very  much  for  having 
remained  away  from  the  yacht  so  long  and  taking  the 
risks  they  did.  But  there  was  no  help  for  it  now,  and 
they  could  only  hope  to  see  the  schooner  in  the  morning. 

Morning  came,  with  Uapoa  plainly  in  sight,  but  no 
signs  of  the  Rover.  Slowly  they  steamed  round  the 
island.  Still  no  Rover.  They  visited  the  other  islands 
in  the  cluster,  with  no  better  success ;  and  then  returned 
to  Nukahiva.  The  schooner  had  not  been  there.  They 
sailed  to  the  southern  cluster;  and  having  landed  on 
Hiwaoa  and  learned  that  no  vessel  had  been  seen  there 
for  some  time,  went  to  the  neighboring  islands,  but  could 
hear  nothing  of  the  missing  schooner. 

"  I  have  it ! "  said  Eugene,  at  last.  "  The  Frenchman 
took  Mr.  Morgan's  money,  and  then  lied  to  him.  The 
Rover  is  now  in  the  Low  Archipelago,  —  among  the 
'  Cloud  of  islands ' ;  and  the  question  is,  how  shall  we 
find  him?" 

"I  believe  you're  right,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Morgan, 
quickly  ;  "  the  Frenchman  lied." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  in  a  thoughtful  way ;  "  the 
Frenchman  has  purposely  misled  us.  For  some  reason  Mr. 
Lyman  Pierpont  does  not  want  an  interview  with  us." 

"That's  evident,"  exclaimed  Eugene;  "and  where  could 
he  more  effectually  lose  himself  than  in  Paumotou  ?  " 


270  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

"  Nowhere,"  returned  the  Captain ;  "  but  we  must  do 
our  best  to  find  him  among  the  coral  islands,  anfl  if  we 
fail,  we  must  go  to  Tahiti  and  wait  for  him  there." 

This  course  being  decided  upon,  the  yacht  was  headed 
for  'the  Low  Archipelago ;  and  gradually  their  disappoint- 
ment was  forgotten  in  the  interest  awakened  by  the 
thought  that  they  were  now  rapidly  approaching  myriads 
of  the  ever-wonderful  coral  isles. 

After  a  day  or  two  they  met  with  bad  weather,  and  were 
forced  to  confine  themselves  for  a  good  part  of  the  time 
to  the  cabin.  One  morning  the  Professor  entered  the 
saloon  and  found  Captain  Bradford  and  the  brothers 
bending  over  the  table,  apparently  absorbed  in  some 
branch-like  objects  they  were  examining. 

"  What  have  you  there  that  seems  to  interest  you  so 
much  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he  advanced  toward  them. 

"  Specimens  of  coral,  the  Captain  was  showing  us," 
answered  Chester ;  "  and  fine  ones,  too,  some  of  them." 

The  Professor  took  a  branch  in  his  hand. 

"  Ah !  this  is  indeed  a  beautiful  specimen,"  he  said ; 
"  a  worthy  daughter  of  the  sea." 

"  Daughter  of  the  sea ! "  repeated  Eugene.  "  That 's 
what  the  name  implies,  is  n't  it  ? " 

"  So  it  is  held  by  some  Greek  scholars,"  was  the 
answer;  "and  certainly  it  is  an  appropriate  designation." 

"That's  true;  and  see  what  a  variety  the  Captain  has." 

"  Yes ;  the  number  of  species  is  very  great,  and  the 
variety  of  forms  and  hues  is  almost  endless.  In  their 
native  element  many  of  them  rival  in  beauty  the  finest 
flowers." 

"And  yet,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he  examined  a  peculiar 
specimen,  "  I  suppose  it  is  nothing  more  than  limestone, 
after  all." 

"  Carbonate  of  lime  constitutes  the  principal  chemical 
ingredient  of  coral,"  rejoined  the  Professor. 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  271 

"  I  must  make  such  a  collection  as  this,"  said  Eugene, 
enthusiastically ;  "  and  I  suppose  right  here  in  the  Pacific 
is  the  place  to  do  it." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  in  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans  that  the 
coral  formation  is  most  important,"  said  the  Professor; 
"  but  many  kinds  are  found  along  the  American  coasts 
of  the  Atlantic,  especially  about  the  West  Indies  and 
Florida  —  which,  with  its  reefs,  is  based  upon  coral, — 
and  along  parts  of  the  coast  of  Brazil,  where  the  reefs 
are  very  dangerous  to  navigation." 

"  Then  there  's  the  red  coral  of  the  Mediterranean," 
suggested  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  the  red  coral  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  Red  Seas  is  among  the  more  remark- 
able kinds,  and  is  of  considerable  value  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  ornaments.  Then  there  is  the  still  more  valuable 
black  coral ;  the  millepora,  and  others." 

"  The  millepora  is  produced  by  acalephs,  and  not  by 
polyps,  I  believe?"  said  Chester. 

"You  are  right,"  answered  the  Professor,  with  a 
pleased  expression ;  "  and  I  am  glad  you  show  so  much 
interest  in  the  subject." 

"  I  don't  see  how  one  can  help  showing  and  feeling  an 
interest  in  it,"  exclaimed  Eugene.  "To  my  mind  the 
study  of  corals  is  full  of  interest." 

"  It  is,  indeed ;  and  the  more  we  study,  the  more 
interested  we  become." 

"  At  one  time  these  stony  products  of  the  sea  were 
supposed  to  be  plants,  were  they  not  ? "  asked  the  Cap- 
tain, as  he  held  up  a  tree-like  branch. 

" Yes,  and  naturally,"  said  the  Professor;  "for  their 
growth  very  much  resembles  the  productions  of  the 
garden." 

"  And  some  writers  even  claim  that  the  name  is  derived 
from  a  Greek  word  signifying  a  growing  plant,  do  they 
not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 
13 


272  •    •         CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

"  It 's  very  likely,"  was  the  reply ;  "  indeed,  it 's  not 
difficult  to  make  out  a  genealogy  for  a  word,  and  prove 
its  descent  from  the  Greek  or  Latin,  as  you  please." 

"  These  branches  are  perfect  imitations  of  the  forms  of 
trees  and  shrubs,"  remarked  Chester,  indicating  several 
rare  specimens  he  had  been  examining. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  and  the  brilliant  hues 
of  the  blossoms  that  once  crowned  them,  made  beautiful 
the  gardens  in  the  depths  of  the  sea." 

"If  I  remember  rightly,"  said  Chester,  "the  naturalists 
were  rather  reluctant  to  give  up  the  plant  theory  ?  " 

"  They  were,  indeed." 

"Who  was  the  first  to  advance  an  opinion  that  the 
coral  blossoms  belonged  to  the  animal  and  not  the  vege- 
table kingdom  ?  "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  A  Neapolitan  naturalist,  Ferrante  Imperato,  in  1599. 
But  his  theory  attracted  little  attention  until  1751,  when 
Peysonnel  came  to  his  support  in  an  elaborate  memoir, 
which  he  sent  to  the  Royal  Society." 

"  How  were  his  views  received  by  the  naturalists  ?  " 

"  Coolly  enough ;  even  Reaumur  pronounced  his  paper 
too  absurd  to  be  discussed." 

"  But  I  should  think  some  of  them  would  have  given 
it  a  little  attention,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Ah,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  but  you  see,  as  a  cer- 
tain writer  puts  it, '  the  power  of  vegetation  to  produce 
stately  foreste  and  the  minutest  plants  was  familiar  to 
the  naturalists.  To  ascribe  still  greater  power  and  elabo- 
rate skill  to  "  poor,  helpless,  jelly-like  animals  "  seemed 
like  an  insulting  demand  upon  their  credulity.' " 

"  I  see ;  and  how  long  did  the  controversy  continue  ?" 

"Through  the  greater  part  of  the  last  century.  As 
the  writer  whom  I  have  just  quoted,  says :  '  The  coral 
animals  were  shown  in  form  resembling  blossoms,  send- 
ing forth  their  petal-like  tentacles  in  series  around  the 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  278 

mouth,  and  drawing  into  this  their  prey.  Still  Linnaeus 
would  admit  their  possession  only  of  a  nature  intermedi- 
ate between  plants  and  animals,  and  the  word  zoophyte 
(Greek  £wo»',  animal,  and  <f>v£tvf  to  grow  like  a  plant)  was 
applied  by  him  to  the  organic  bodies,  with  reference  to 
their  supposed  relation  to  both  kingdoms." 

"  The  word  is  still  in  use  with  naturalists,  is  it  not  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply ;  "  it  is  used  as  a  distinctive 
term  for  the  division  of  animals  in  which  the  sponges 
are  included."  Then,  after  a  pause :  "  The  whole  com- 
pound animal  mass  produced  by  budding  is  called  by 
Professor  J.  D.  Dana,  of  Yale,  a  zoothome  (Greek  £woy, 
animal,  and  ^"ic,  a  heap,  you  remember,  Chester),  and 
the  single  animal  is  called  by  him  a  polyp." 

While  he  was  speaking,  the  Captain  had  hurried  away. 
He  now  returned  with  a  large  book  open  in  his  hand. 
This  he  handed  to  the  Professor,  at  the  same  time  indi- 
cating a  passage  with  his  finger. 

"  Ah,  very  good,"  exclaimed  the  palaeontologist,  as  the 
words  caught  his  eye,  "  this  is  quite  a  propos.  Listen, 
young  gentlemen,"  and  he  read : 

" '  Coral  is  the  stony  frame  which  belongs  to  these 
animals  ' —  the  polyps,  you  understand  — '  as  a  skeleton 
belongs  to  an  individual  of  the  higher  orders  of  the 
animal  kingdom.  It  is  called  by  Professor  Dana  the 
corallum,  and  the  coral  of  a  single  polyp  in  the  mass  is 
called  a  corallet.  It  is  formed  within  the  mass  of  them 
by  animal  secretion,  each  individual  adding  to  the  com- 
mon structure,  not  by  actual  effort  directed  to  this 
purpose,  but  by  the  involuntary  secretion  of  calcareous 
matter.  Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  corals  are  not,  as 
formerly  supposed,  the  products  of  the  labor  of  the  coral 
animals,  but  are  the  results  of  a  growth  analogous  to 
that  of  the  bones  in  other  animals.  A  single  polyp  of 


274  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

the  genus  astrcea,  for  instance,  has  a  disk  above  sur- 
rounded with  tentacles,  like  the  actinia  or  sea  anemone, 
to  which  it  is  closely  allied ;  the  mouth  at  the  center  of 
the  disk  opens  into  a  stomach,  and  is  the  passage  for  the 
food  and  for  the  exit  of  refuse  matters.  Below  and 
around  the  stomach  space  is  divided  radiatcly  by  a  series 
of  pairs  of  fleshy  plates,  the  larger  of  which  extend 
from  the  stomach  to  the  sides  of  the  polyp.  The  coral 
is  secreted  between  the  plates  of  these  several  pairs,  as 
well  as  through  the  tissues ;  and  hence  comes  the  radiate 
character  of  the  interior  of  the  cells  over  the  surface  of 
a  coral,  that  is,  the  star-like  interior  of  each  corallet. 
The  material  of  the  coral '  -  —  as  the  Captain  has  already 
said  — '  is  carbonate  of  lime,  or  the  same  that  constitutes 
limestone,  and  it  is  taken  by  the  polyp  from  the  sea-water 
or  from  its  food.' " 

The  Professor  here  took  up  a  piece  of  branching  coral, 
and  as  he  touched  the  several  tips,  said  : 

"  In  the  living  state,  each  of  these  little  prominences 
was  the  interior  of  a  separate  flower-like  polyp.     Exam- 
ine them  carefully,  my  young  friends." 
They  did  so ;  and  presently  Eugene  asked : 
"  How  are  the  polyps  reproduced,  Professor  ?  " 
"  Besides  producing  eggs  and  young   like  other  ani- 
mals," was  the  reply,  "  coral  polyps  generally  multiply 
also  through  a  process  of  budding  which  is  closely  like 
growth  by  buds  in  the  vegetable  kingdom.     Listen,"  and 
again  turning  to  the  book,  he  read  : 

" '  A  new  polyp  commences  as  a  mere  prominence  on 
the  side  of  an  old  one ;  soon  the  mouth  and  tentacles 
appear ;  then  both  continue  growing,  each  adding  to  the 
calcareous  accumulation  within,  and  each  sending  forth 
new  buds  to  be  developed  into  new  polyps.  According 
to  the  manner  in  which  the  buds  develop  the  mass 
receives  its  shape.  In  some  species  they  branch  out 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  275 

into  tree-like  forms  from  the  buds  putting  forth  laterally. 
In  many  species  of  the  madrepore  family  each  branch 
terminates  in  what  is  called  the  parent  polyp,  this  term- 
inal polyp  continuing  to  grow  on  and  at  the  same  time 
making  new  polyps  for  the  sides  of  the  branch  by  the 
process  of  budding.  In  a  few  species  of  other  kinds- 
each  polyp  forms  a  separate  branch,  at  the  termination 
of  which  it  is  seated ;  at  these  extremities  the  growth 
goes  on,  while  the  stem  below  is  left  behind,  dead.  Other 
species,  in  which  the  polyps  form  massive  corals,  put 
forth  the  young  polyps  in  the  spaces  which  are  produced 
between  the  older  ones  as  these  extend  upward,  or  they 
make  new  ones  by  a  subdividing  of  an  old  polyp ;  thus 
keeping  the  hemispherical  form  symmetrical,  till  in  a 
single  astraea  dome  a  diameter  of  even  twelve  feet  has 
been  attained,  and  the  polyps,  each  occupying  a  square 
half  inch  only,  have  increased  to  more  than  100,000  in 
number.  Many  polyps  are  of  still  smaller  dimensions. 
A  porites  of  the  same  size  should  contain,  according  to 
Prof.  Dana,  more  than  5,500,000  individuals.  The  genus 
is  often  met  with  over  the  coral  reefs,  in  rudely  shaped 
hillocks  sometimes  measuring  twenty  feet  across.' 

"He  then  speaks  of  the  brain  coral,  —  of  which  there 
is  a  fine  specimen  before  you,  Chester,  —  and  after  men- 
tioning the  star  coral  and  one  or  two  other  species,  he 
refers  to  Prof.  Dana,  who  says  : 

" '  Some  species  grow  up  in  the  form  of  large  leaves 
rolled  around  one  another  like  an  open  cabbage,  and  cab- 
bage coral  would  be  no  inapt  designation  for  such  species. 
Another  foliated  kind  consists  of  leaves  more  crisped  and 
of  more  delicate  structure,  irregularly  grouped ;  lettuce 
coral  would  be  a  significant  name.  Each  leaf  has  a  sur- 
face covered  with  polyp  flowers,  and  was  formed  by  the 
growth  and  secretion  of  these  polyps.  Clustered  leaves 
of  the  acanthus  and  oak  are  at  once  called  to  mind  by 


276  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

other  species ;  a  sprouting  asparagus  bed  by  others.  The 
mushroom  is  here  imitated  in  very  many  of  its  fantastic 
shapes,  and  other  fungi,  with  mosses  and  lichens,  add  to 
the  variety.  Vases  of  madrepores  are  common  about  the 
reefs  of  the  Pacific ;  they  stand  on  a  cylindrical  base, 
.which  is  enveloped  in  flowers  when  alive,  and  consist  of 
a  network  of  branches  and  branchlets,  spreading  grace- 
fully from  the  center,  covered  above  with  crowded  sprigs 
of  tinted  polyps.  The  actinia  may  well  be  called  the 
asters,  carnations,  and  anemones  of  the  submarine  gar- 
den ;  the  tubipores  and  alcyonia  form  literally  its  pink 
beds  ;  the  gorgonias  and  militseas  are  its  flowering  twigs  ; 
the  madrepores  its  plants  and  shrubbery ;  and  astrasas 
often  form  domes  amid  the  grove  a  dozen  feet  or  more 
in  diameter,  embellished  with  green  or  purple  blossoms 
which  stud  the  surface  like  gems,  while  other  hemi- 
spheres of  mcandrina  appear  as  if  enveloped  in  a  net- 
work of  flowering  vines.' 

" '  Over  the  surface  of  all  these  corals,'  the  writer  then 
goes  on  to  say, '  each  depression  is  the  site  of  a  polyp ; 
and  the  radiated  form  of  this  cell  corresponds  in  its 
plates  to  the  similar  structure  of  the  animal.  As  young 
polyps  are  produced,  they  communicate  for  a  time  or 
permanently  with  the  parent  stock,  through  the  internal 
cavity,  in  some  species  each  having  in  the  early  period  of 
growth  nothing  externally  to  mark  its  separate  existence 
but  the  new  mouth  and  incipient  tentacles.  In  a  living 
polyp,  the  tentacles  are  expanded  and  made  rigid  by 
injection  with  sea-water.  When  disturbed,  the  water  is 
ejected,  the  tentacles  contract  and  disappear  beneath  the 
margin  of  the  disk  which  is  rolled  inward  over  them,  and 
conceals  also  the  mouth.  In  many  even  of  the  larger 
corals  the  living  portion  is  but  a  thin  outer  part  of  the 
mass,  the  rest  having  become  dead  by  the  drying  up  of 
the  tissues  as  growth  went  on.  The  various  forms  of 
coral  are  produced  by  as  many  species  of  polyps.' " 


CORALS ATOLLS.  277 

"And  they  are  widely  distributed,  I  should  judge," 
remarked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  this  very  writer  says : 
*  Among  the  tribes  of  corals,  some  species  or  other  are 
found  in  all  oceans  from  the  equator  to  the  polar  regions, 
and  to  the  lowest  depths  explored  by  man.  But  the 
range  of  individual  species  and  families  is  limited  by  the 
physical  conditions  of  light,  heat,  pressure,  etc.,  appro- 
priate to  their  organization.  Those  tribes  which  produce 
the  great  coral  reefs,  as  the  astraeas,  madrepores,  mean- 
drinas,  etc.,  are  developed  with  peculiar  luxuriance  in 
the  warmest  parts  of  the  Pacific,  where  the  temperature 
varies  from  75°  to  85° ;  but  they  are  also  found  in  waters 
the  temperature  of  which  during  the  coldest  winter 
months  does  not  fall  below  68°,  and  in  other  oceans 
and  seas.' " 

"  What  are  the  limits  of  coral  reefs,  Professor  ?  "  asked 
Eugene. 

"This  authority  says,  'Two  isothermal  lines  of  68°,  one 
north,  the  other  south  of  the  equator,  near  the  parallel  of 
28°,  but  varying  therefrom  according  to  the  marine  cur- 
rents and  the  vicinity  of  continents,  will  include  all  the 
growing  coral  reefs  of  the  world.' " 

"  The  higher  the  temperature,  the  greater  is  the  pro- 
fusion and  variety  of  the  coral  reefs,  I  suppose,"  said 
Chester. 

«  Exactly." 

"  What  is  the  range  in  depth  of  the  reef-forming 
corals  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  appears  to  be  limited  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  and  comparatively  few 
are  found  below  half  that  depth." 

"But,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "coral  is  often  found  extend- 
ing from  a  few  feet  to  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of 
feet  below  the  surface  of  the  sea," 


278  •  CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 

"  That  is  true,  and  various  theories  have  been  advanced 
to  account  for  it,  but  they  have  all  been  rejected,  and  the 
explanation  first  offered  by  Mr.  Darwin  is  now  very  gen- 
erally adopted  by  the  scientific  world." 

"  And  just  how  does  Mr.  Darwin  account  for  it,  Pro- 
fessor ?  " 

"His  theory,  which,  by  the  way,  is  supported  and 
more  fully  developed  by  Professor  Dana,  is,  that  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean  where  atolls  are  found  has  been  for 
ages  slowly  subsiding,  while  the  coral  reef  has  pari  passu 
been  growing  up.  Hence,  as  this  writer  says,  while  the 
living  coral  has  never  existed  more  than  fifty  or  one 
hundred  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  coral 
rock,  the  product  of  former  ages,  exists  at  immeasurable 
depths.  The  dead  corals  and  shells  of  the  coral  seas 
become  ground  up  by  the  waves  as  they  sweep  over  the 
reef,  and  thus  the  beds  of  coral  debris  are  made  which 
become  by  consolidation  the  coral  reef  rock." 

"  I  wonder  how  Darwin  first  came  to  think  out  the 
origin  of  the  atoll,"  mused  Eugene. 

"  Dana  says  the  Gambier  group,  near  the  Paumotous, 
whither  we  are  now  bound,  gave  him  the  first  hint.  '  The 
contrast,'  he  says,  '  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  resem- 
blance, were  striking,'  and  I  agree  with  him  that  the 
conclusion  was  natural  and  most  happy." 

"  Had  any  one  else  noticed  the  resemblance  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Captain  Beechey,  in  his  '  Voyage  in  the  Pacific,'  as 
Professor  Dana  points  out,  implies  it  when  he  says  of 
the  Gambier  group,  which  he  surveyed,  '  It  consists  of 
five  large  islands  and  several  small  ones,  all  situated  in 
a  lagoon  formed  by  a  reef  of  coral,  and  Balbi,  the  geo- 
grapher, as  Darwin  remarks,  describes  those  barrier  reefs 
which  encircle  islands  of  moderate  size  by  calling  them 
atolls,  with  high  lands  rising  from  their  central  expanse." 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  279 

"  The  whole  theory,  as  set  forth  by  Darwin  and  Dana, 
is  very  fascinating,"  said  Chester. 

"  It  is  indeed,"  assented  the  Professor.  Then  turning 
to  the  Captain :  "  Have  you  a  copy  of  Dana's  '  Corals  and 
Coral  Islands '  in  your  collection  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply ;  "  I'll  get  it  for  you,"  and 
stepping  across  the  saloon,  he  took  the  volume  from  its 
place,  and  returning,  handed  it  to  the  Professor. 

Opening  the  book  at  the  section  treating  on  Lagoons 
of  atolls,  and  calling  their  attention  to  a  sketch  of  the 
Gambier  Islands,  and  another  illustrating  the  origin  of 
atolls,  the  Professor  said : 

"  These  give  us  an  excellent  idea  of  how  reefs  and 
atolls  are  formed." 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  and  as  the  author  says 
of  the  first,  '  The  very  features  of  the  coast  of  the  in- 
cluded islands,  —  the  deep  indentations,  —  are  sufficient 
evidence  of  subsidence  to  one  who  has  studied  the  char- 
acter of  the  Pacific  Islands ;  for  these  indications  corres- 
pond to  valleys  or  gorges  formed  by  denudation,  during 
a  long  period  while  the  island  stood  above  the  sea.' " 

"  Now  look  at  the  other  sketch,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  It  shows  the  manner  in  which  a  further  subsidence 
results  in  producing  the  atoll.  When  the  islets  have 
sunk  out  of  sight,  the  ring  or  barrier-reef  remains,  leav- 
ing nothing  within  but  the  lagoon  of  the  new  atoll." 

"  I  see,"  said  Eugene.  Then  turning  abruptly  to  his 
brother :  "  Chester,  what  have  you  there  ?  If  it 's  any- 
thing interesting,  let 's  know  it." 

"X)h,"  responded  Chester,  "  it's  only  a  clipping  from 
the  San  Francisco  Call.  I  came  across  the  paper  at 
Callao." 

"  Does  it  treat  on  the  subject  under  consideration  ? " 
asked  the  Professor. 
12* 


280  COBALS  —  ATOLLS. 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  confirms  the  views  of  Darwin  and  Dana." 
"  Then  let  us  hear  it,  by  all  means." 
Thus  admonished,  Chester  read  as  follows : 
" '  Captain  Herandeen,  a  mariner,  who  has  spent  years 
in  sailing  the  restless  Pacific,  related  to  a  reporter,  a  few 
days  ago,  facts  that  he  had  observed,  which  tend  to  prove 
the  theory  set  forth  by  Professor  Dana,  that  there  is  an 
immense  area  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  bed,  lying  under  the 
equator,  about  6,000  miles  in  length  and  about  2,000  in 
breadth,  that  has  been  gradually  sinking  lower  and  lower 
for  thousands  of  years,  till  now  land  that  once  was  lying 
in  the  sun  and  washed  by  waves  is  buried  in  fathomless 
depths.     The  following  is  the  interesting  story  told  by 
the  captain : 

" '  There  is  ample  evidence  that  a  vast  area  in  the 
central  Pacific  Ocean,  now  sunk  far  deeper  than  the 
fathom  line  goes,  was  once  above  the  surface  of  the  sea, 
and  most  probably  inhabited  by  a  race  of  people  far 
superior  in  intelligence  and  civilization  to  the  Polyne- 
sians and  Kanakas  who  now  dwell  on  the  rocky  islands, 
which  in  former  times  were  the  tops  of  mountain  peaks. 
An  immense  area  of  the  ocean  bed  has  been  sinking  for 
thousands  of  years,  and  the  character  of  the  people  who 
have  lived  in  that  region  of  the  world  seems  to  be  sink- 
ing lower  and  lower  as  the  land  subsides.  The  first 
thing  that  called  the  attention  of  scientific  men  to  this 
great  fact  was  the  formation  of  the  innumerable  atolls 
and  barrier-reefs  in  that  part  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  They 
found  on  the  outskirts  of  this  area  that  there  were  islands 
fringed  with  coral  reefs.  As  they  sailed  past  these  beau- 
tiful islands  they  saw  other  islands  with  a  barrier  circling 
them.  A  coral  reef,  a  few  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
water,  girdled  the  island  at  a  distance  from  it  varying 
from  a  half  mile  to  thirty  miles,  and  whose  presence  was 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS.  281 

marked  by  a  ring  of  snowy  foam  made  by  the  breakers. 
As  they  penetrated  further  into  the  region  of  the  sea 
they  came  upon  atolls,  which  are  formed  by  circles  of 
coral  inclosing  a  smooth  sheet  of  water.  These  lagoons 
were  found  to  vary  in  diameter  from  thirty  miles,  or 
more,  to  only  a  few  feet ;  but  corals  do  not  build  their 
reefs  at  a  greater  depth  than  about  one  hundred  feet,  and 
yet,  by  sounding  these  singular  reefs  in  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
it  was  found  that  the  coral  reached  as  far  as  the  fathom 
line  went.  The  conclusion  of  scientific  men,  was,  that 
the  bed  of  the  ocean  was  gradually  sinking,  and  that  the 
corals  began  to  build  fringing  reefs  on  the  islands,  and 
as  the  land  sank,  the  corals  kept  steadily  at  work,  build- 
ing up  as  fast  as  the  land  went  down.  As  the  island 
disappeared  the  fringing  reefs  became  atolls  or  circles 
of  coral,  inclosing  a  calm  lagoon.  It  was  found  that 
the  reefs  below  one  hundred  feet  are  dead,  and  it  is 
inferred  that  at  a  lower  depth  than  that,  the  corals  were 
killed  by  cold.  This  is  the  generally  accepted  theory  in 
regard  to  the  subsidence  in  the  Pacific. 

" '  But  there  is  other  evidence  which  is  more  interest- 
ing, because  it  relates  to  the  decay  of  a  great  race  of 
people  that  once  inhabited  this  region.  A  few  years  ago 
I  stopped  at  Ponynipete  Island,  in  the  Pacific,  in  cast 
longitude  158°  22'  and  north  fatitude  6°  50'.  The  island 
is  surrounded  by  a  reef,  with  a  broad  ship  channel 
between  it  and  the  island.  At  places  in  the  reef  there 
were  natural  breaks,  that  served  as  entrances  to  the 
harbors.  In  these  ship  channels  there  were  a  number 
of  islands,  many  of  which  were  surrounded  by  a  wall  of 
stone  five  or  six  feet  high,  and  on  these,  islands  there 
stood  a  great  many  low  housed,  built  of  the  same  kind  of 
stone  as  the  walls  about  them.  These  structures  seem 
to  have  been  used  as  temples  and  forts.  The  singular 


282  CORALS ATOLLS. 

feature  of  these  islands  is  that  the  walls  are  a  foot  or 
more  below  the  water.  When  they  were  built  they  were 
evidently  above  the  water  and  connected  with  the  main- 
land, but  they  have  gradually  sunk  until  the  sea  has  risen 
a  foot  or  more  around  them.  The  natives  on  the  island 
do  not  know  when  these  works  were  built ;  it  is  so  far 
back  in  the  past  that  they  have  even  no  tradition  of  the 
structures.  Yet  the  works  show  signs  of  great  skill,  and 
certainly  prove  that  whoever  built  them  knew  thoroughly 
how  to  transport  and  lift  heavy  blocks  of  stone.  Up  in 
the  mountains  of  the  island  there  is  a  quarry  of  the  same 
kind  of  stone  that  was  used  in  building  the  wall  about 
the  small  islands,  and  in  that  quarry  to-day  there  are 
great  blocks  of  stone  that  have  been  hewn  out  ready  for 
transportation.  The  natives  have  no  tradition  touching 
the  quarry ;  who  hewed  the  stone,  when  it  was  done,  or 
why  the  work  ceased.  The  natives  are  in  greater  igno- 
rance of  the  great  phenomena  that  are  going  on  about 
them  than  the  white  man  who  touches  at  their  island  for 
a  few  hours  for  water.  There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind 
that  the  island  was  once  inhabited  by  an  intelligent  race 
of  people,  who  built  the  temples  and  forts  of  heavy 
masonry  on  the  high  bluffs  of  the  shore  of  the  island, 
and  that  as  the  land  gradually  subsided  these  bluffs 
became  islands.  They  stand  to-day  with  a  solid  wall  of 
stone  around  them,  partly  submerged  in  water.' " 

"  All  very  true,"  commented  the  Professor ;  "  but  the 
good  mariner  gives  us  nothing  new,  as  I  can  sec." 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  Eugene, "  did  you  know  about 
the  stone  structures  he  mentions  —  temples  and  forts, 
he  calls  them?" 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  made  myself  somewhat  familiar  with 
the  curious  canals,  and  the  remarkable  walls  and  ruins 
on  Kusaie  or  Strong's  Island." 


CORALS  —  ATOLLS. 


283 


"  Canals  and  ruins ! "  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  I  never  heard 
of  them.  Tell  us  something  about  them,  Professor." 

"  With  pleasure,  my  young  friend ;  but  not  to-day. 
See,  the  steward  is  impatient  to  get  possession  of  this 
table.  We  have  been  so  interested  in  corals  and  atolls 
that  we  have  failed  to  note  the  flight  of  time."  And  so 
the  little  party  broke  up. 


FEATHER  APRON. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

KUSAIE— COMPLETED  ATOLLS. 

THE  next  morning,  when  they  were  again  assembled 
in  the  saloon,  Eugene  gently  hinted  to  the  Professor 
that  they  would  be  glad  to  take  up  the  subject  they  were 
considering  when  disturbed  the  day  before. 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  the  Professor,  musingly ;  "  we  were 
speaking  of  the  canals,  and  curious  walls  and  ruins  on 
Kusaie,  I  believe." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  you  were  just  going  to  tell  us  about  them." 

"  I  should  like  it  much  better  if  you  could  see  them  for 
yourselves  ;  however,  I  will  try  to  give  you  some  idea  of 
the  mysterious  wonders."  Then,  after  a  pause :  "  Kusaie, 
one  of  the  Caroline  Islands,  as  perhaps  you  know,  is 
entirely  surrounded  by  a  coral  reef,  varying  from  a  few 
rods  to  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  shore.  Through 
the  reef  there  is  the  usual  opening,  in  this  case  quite  one 
hundred  yards  wide,  giving  passage  to  ships  of  the  largest 
size.  The  main  island  is  large  —  some  thirty  miles  in 
circumference,  and  on  the  north  side  the  shore  forms  a 
deep  lagoon.  In  front  of  this  lagoon  is  a  small  island, 
which  extends  from  one  extreme  point  of  the  bay  to  the 
other,  being  separated  on  the  western  side  from  the  large 
island  by  some  three  or  four  hundred  feet  of  shallow 
water,  of  not  sufficient  depth  to  admit  the  passage  of  a 
vessel  of  any  size,  and  this  is  bordered  by  the  reef.  The 
channel  is  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  small  island. 

"  The  king  and  a  large  number  of  his  people,  including 
the  more  important  chiefs,  reside  on  the  small  island,  for 

(284) 


KTJSAIE — COMPLETED    ATOLLS.  287 

what  good  reason  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  But  on  this 
island  there  are  a  great  number  of  canals,  cut  through  in 
all  directions,  and  at  high  tide  of  sufficient  depth  to  float 
the  largest  canoes.  These  canals,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
more  important  roads,  are  walled  up  from  fifteen  to  thirty 
feet  high.  The  walls  are  exceedingly  well  built,  and  are 
from  six  to  ten  feet  in  thickness.  Immense  stones,  many 
of  them  weighing  several  tons,  may  be  seen  in  the  walls, 
and  that,  too,  at  quite  a  distance  from  the  ground." 

"  That 's  very  strange,  and  seems  to  bear  out  Captain 
Herandeen's  idea  of  a  superior  race  having  inhabited 
these  islands,  —  or  continent,  as  it  may  have  been,"  said 
Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes ;  there  is  something  very  suggestive  about  these 
walls  and  canals,"  returned  the  Professor. 

"  Don't  the  natives  pretend  to  know  anything  about 
them  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  No ;  and  the  more  intelligent  of  them  say  that  the 
oldest  traditions  they  have  give  no  account  of  them 
whatever." 

"  But  they  must  have  some  idea  —  some  theory  as  to 
how  they  came  there." 

"  A  very  convenient  one  ;  they  say  the  evil  spirit  built 
them  for  his  own  use." 

"  Are  there  any  other  wonders  on  this  island  ?  "  asked 
Chester,  who  was  also  greatly  interested. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  there  are  what 
appear  to  be  the  ruins  of  an  extensive  building.  It  is 
surrounded  by  a  massive  stone  wall,  six  or  eight  feet 
high,  on  all  four  sides,  with  but  a  single  entrance,  which 
is  reached  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps.  Within  this  is  a 
second  wall,  somewhat  smaller,  but  similar  to  the  first ; 
and  on  ascending  several  more  steps,  a  level  space  paved 
with  large,  flat  stones  is  reached.  In  the  center  of  this 
last  there  are  two  square  pits,  about  twenty  feet  deep, 
walled  up  with  stone  in  a  workmanlike  manner." 


288  KUSAIE  —  COMPLETED    ATOLLS. 

"  And  of  these  interesting  ruins  the  natives  know  no 
more  than  they  do  about  the  canals,  I  suppose  ? "  said 
Eugene,  impatiently. 

"  No,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  if  you  ask  them,  they 
will  only  tell  you  it  is  the  work  of  the  Devil,  and  that  is 
all  the  satisfaction  you  will  be  able  to  get  from  them." 

"  I  think  I  could  guess  nearer  than  that,"  said  Cap- 
tain Bradford,  who  had  listened  to  the  Professor  with  a 
thoughtful  air. 

"  Ah,  you  have  a  theory  !  "  exclaimed  the  palaeontolo- 
gist. "  I  should  be  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  It  is  only  this,"  returned  the  Captain :  "  Look  at  the 
chart  and  note  the  position  of  Kusaie.  Well,  it  seems  to 
me  that  at  one  time  it  may  have  been  the  stronghold  of 
a  community  of  pirates,  and  if  so,  that  would  explain 
everything  that  seems  mysterious  now." 

"  Hum,"  mused  the  Professor ;  "  you  may  be  right. 
Certainly,  there  are  indications  that  point  that  way." 

"Then  the  admirable  situation,"  the  Captain  went  on; 
"  the  almost  perfect  harbor,  with  its  narrow  entrance,  in 
which  a  vessel  might  readily  be  wholly  shut  out  from 
view  at  sea ;  the  mild  and  salubrious  climate ;  all  these 
combined  would  render  it  a  most  desirable  rendezvous." 

"  But  it  does  n't  seem  possible  to  me,"  objected  Eugene ; 
"  for  "had  pirates  held  possession  of  the  island,  it  could  n't 
have  been  so  very  long  ago,  and  the  present  inhabitants 
would  have  some  knowledge  of  them  through  tradition, 
at  least." 

"They  ought  to,  Eugene,"  said  the  Professor;  "but 
after  all  the  Captain's  supposition  is  not  so  very  improba- 
ble. It  is  well  known  that  this  ocean,  years  ago,  was 
infested  by  swarms  of  Chinese  and  Malay  pirates,  and 
these  very  natives  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  the 
Malays." 

"  Then  you  assume  that  in  a  comparatively  short  time 
they  have  forgotten  their  ancestors  and  their  calling  ?  " 


KUSAIE  —  COMPLETED   ATOLLS.  289 

"  It  would  not  be  so  very  strange  if  they  have.  Most 
of  the  able-bodied  men  may  have  sailed  away  on  some 
plundering  expedition,  leaving  only  the  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  perhaps  a  few  infirm  old  men  at  home,  and 
their  vessels  may  have  been  captured  or  lost;  and  so, 
the  children  growing  up  without  large  vessels,  and,  it 
may  be,  without  the  means  to  make  them,  were  forced  to 
give  up  their  fathers'  trade,  and  in  the  course  of  time 
lost  all  remembrance  of  their  piratical  sires." 

"  I  acknowledge  the  force  of  your  argument,  and  con- 
fess that  you  have  nearly  converted  me  to  the  Captain's 
theory."  Then  turning  abruptly  to  the  commander  of 
the  Albatross :  "  Captain,  you  must  manage  in  some  way 
to  give  us  a  glimpse  of  Kusaie." 

"  I  presume  it  can  be  done  without  any  very  great  diffi- 
culty or  loss  of  time,"  was  the  reply,  after  a  moment's 
consideration.  "And  to  tell  the  truth,  I  should  like 
very  much  to  see  the  place  myself ;  I  never  have  been 
there." 

"  That 's  a  little  strange,  is  n't  it  ?" 

"  Yes ;  but  it  has  happened  so." 

While  the  others  were  talking,  Chester  had  taken  up 
the  book  the  Professor  had  laid  down.  Now  he  said : 

"  Here  is  an  explanation  —  in  fact,  the  answer  to  a 
question  I  have  asked  myself  more  than  once  of  late, 
and  that  is,  how  do  certain  coral  islands  become  nearly 
circular  in  form  and  filled  in  ? " 

"  Read  it,"  said  the  Professor.  And  Chester,  comply- 
ing, read : 

" '  One  obvious  result  of  its  continuation '  -  —  that  is, 
the  subsidence  of  a  coral  island,  you  understand  — '  is  a 
gradual  contraction  of  the  lagoon  and  diminution  of  the 
size  of  the  atoll,  owing  to  the  fact  already  noted,  that 
•  the  detritus  is  mostly  thrown  inward  by  the  sea.  The 
lagoon  will  consequently  become  smaller  and  shallower, 


290  COMPLETED    ATOLLS. 

and  the  outline  of  the  island  in  general,  more  nearly 
circular.  Finally,  the  reefs  of  the  different  sides  may 
so  far  approximate  by  this  process,  that  the  lagoon  is 
gradually  obliterated,  and  the  large  atoll  is  thus  reduced 
to  a  small  level  islet,  with  only  traces  of  a  former  de- 
pression about  the  center.  Thus  subsidence  aids  detritus 
accumulations  in  filling  up  the  lagoon  ;  and  as  filled 
lagoons  are  found  only  in  the  smallest  islands,  such  as 
Swain's  and  Jarvis's,  the  two  agencies  have,  beyond 
doubt,  been  generally  united.'  " 

"I  am  glad  you  read  that,"  said  the  Professor,  ap- 
provingly, "  now  let  us  hear  the  next  paragraph  or  two. 
I  think  they  will  tell  us  something  about  dead  reefs  and 
barrier-reefs  that  it  will  be  well  for  us  to  know." 

Chester  continued: 

"'This  subsidence,  if  more  rapid  than  the  increase 
of  the  coral  reef,  would  become  fatal  to  the  atoll,  by 
gradually  sinking  it  beneath  the  sea.  Such  a  fate  has 
actually  befallen  two  atoll-formed  reefs  of  the  Chagos 
group,  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  as  stated  by  Darwin ;  a 
third  has  only  "  two  or  three  very  small  pieces  of  living 
reef  rising  to  the  surface,"  and  the  fourth  has  a  portion 
nine  mjles  long,  dead  and  submerged.  Darwin  calls 
such  reefs  dead  reefs.  The  southern  Maldives  have 
deeper  lagoons  than  the  northern,  fifty  or  sixty  fathoms 
being  found  in  them.  This  fact  indicates  that  subsid- 
ence was  probably  most  extensive  to  the  south,  and  per- 
haps also  most  rapid.  The  sinking  of  the  Chagos  Bank, 
which  lies  further  to  the  south,  in  nearly  the  same  line, 
may  therefore  have  had  some  connection  with  the  sub- 
sidence of  the  Maldives.' " 

"  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  about  that,"  remarked  the 
Professor.  "  But  go  on." 

"'In  view  of  the  facts  which  have  been  presented,' 
Chester  continued,  'it  appears  that  each  coral  atoll 


COMPLETED   ATOLLS.  291 

once  formed  a  fringing  reef  around  a  high  island.  The 
fringing  reef,  as  the  island  subsided,  became  a  barrier- 
reef,  which  continued .  its  growth  while  the  land  was 
slowly  disappearing.  The  area  of  waters  within  finally 
contained  the  last  sinking  peak.  Another  period,  and 
this  had  gone  —  the  island  had  sunk,  leaving  only  the 
barrier  at  the  surface,  and  an  islet  or  two  of  coral  in  the 
enclosed  lagoon.  Thus  the  coral  wreath  thrown  around 
the  lofty  island,  to  beautify  and  protect,  becomes  after- 
ward its  monument,  and  the  only  record  of  its  past 
existence.  The  Paumotou  Archipelago  is  a  vast  island 
cemetery,  where  each  atoll  marks  the  site  of  a  buried 
island.  The  whole  Pacific  is  scattered  over  with  these 
simple  memorials,  and  they  are  the  brightest  spots  in 
that  desert  of  waters.'  " 

"  Very  beautifully  expressed,  and  very  true,"  remarked 
the  Professor,  in  a  commendatory  tone. 

"Here  is  something  about  the  completed  atoll,"  ob- 
served Chester,  glancing  his  eye  down  the  page. 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  that,"  said  Eugene. 

"  You  can  read  it  for  yourself,"  laughed  his  brother. 

"  No ;  let  us  enjoy  it  together,"  said  the  Professor,  and 
without  further  demur  Chester  read : 

'"The  atoll,  a  quiet  scene  of  grove  and  lake,  is  admira- 
bly set  off  by  the  contrasting  ocean.  Its  placid  beauty 
rises  to  grandeur  when  the  storm  rages,  and  the  waves 
foam  and  roar  about  the  outer  reefs ;  for  the  child  of  the 
sea  still  rests  quietly,  in  unheeding  and  dreamy  content. 
This  coral-made  land  is  firm,  because,  as  has  been  already 
explained,  it  is  literally  sea-born,  it  having  been  built  out 
of  sea-products,  by  the  aid  of  the  working  ocean.  And 
so  with  the  groves :  they  were  planted  by  the  waves ;  and 
hence  the  species  are  those  that  can  defy  the  encroaching 
waters,  and  meet  the  various  conditions  in  which  they 
are  placed.  The  plants  therefore  take  firm  hold  of  the 
soil,  and  grow  in  all  their  natural  strength  and  beauty. 


292  COMPLETED    ATOLL0. 

" '  Only  an  occasional  coral  island  has  a  completely 
encircling  grove,  and  is  hence  a  model  atoll.  But  the 
many  in  which  a  series  of  green  islets  surround  the 
lagoon  are  often  but  little  less  attractive,  especially  when 
the  several  islets  present  varied  groupings  of  palms  and 
other  foliage.  To  give  perfection  to  the  coral  island 
landscape  there  ought  to  be,  here  and  there,  beneath  the 
trees,  a  pretty  cottage  or  villa,  and  other  marks  of  taste 
and  intelligence ;  and  now  and  then  a  barge  should  be 
seen  gliding  over  the  waters.  As  it  is,  the  inhabitants 
are  swarthy  and  nearly  naked  savages,  having  little  about 
them  that  is  pleasant  to  contemplate ;  and  their  canoes, 
with  a  clumsy  outrigger  to  keep  them  right  side  up,  as 
well  as  their  thatched  huts,  are  as  little  in  harmony  as 
themselves  with  nature's  grace  and  loveliness. 

"'Where  the  islets  of  a  coral  reef  are  heaped  up  blocks 
of  coral  rock,  blackened  with  lichens,  and  covered  with 
barely  enough  of  trailing  plants  and  shrubs  to  make  the 
surface  green  in  the  distant  view,  the  traveler,  on  landing, 
would  be  greatly  disappointed.  But  still  there  is  enough 
that  is  strange  and  beautiful,  both  in  the  life  of  the  land 
and  sea,  and  in  the  history  and  features  of  the  island,  to 
give  enjoyment  for  many  a  day. 

"'The  great  obstacle  to  communication  with  a  majority 
of  atolls,  especially  the  smaller,  is  the  absence  of  an 
entrance  to  the  lagoon,  and  hence  of  a  good  landing- 
place.  In  that  case  landing  can  be  effected  only  on  the 
leeward  side,  and  in  good  weather ;  and  best,  when  the 
tide  is  low.  Even  then  the  sea  often  rolls  in  so  heavily 
over  the  jagged  margin  of  the  reef,  that  it  is  necessary 
for  the  boat  to  take  a  chance  to  mount  an  in-going  wave 
and  ride  upon  it  over  the  line  of  breakers,  to  a  stopping- 
place  somewhere  on  the  reef  or  shore-platform. 

" '  Less  easy  is  the  return  through  the  breakers,  espe- 


COMPLETED   ATOLLS.  295 

cially  if  the  sea  has  risen  during  the  ramble  ashore.  The 
boat,  in  order  to  get  off  again,  would  naturally  take  one 
of  the  narrow  channels  or  inlets  indenting  the  margin  of 
the  reef.  But,  with  the  waves  tumbling  in  one  after 
another,  roughly  lifting  and  dropping  it,  as  they  pass, 
and  with  barely  room  between  the  rocks  for  the  oars  to 
be  used,  there  is  a  fair  chance  of  its  being  dashed  against 
the  reefs  to  its  destruction,  or  thrown  broadside  to  the 
sea  and  swamped  under  a  cataract  of  waters.  If  another 
boat  with  its  crew  were  lying  at  the  time  off  the  reef,  a 
line,  carried  to  it  through  the  surf  by  an  expert  swimmer, 
might  prove  a  means  of  rescue ;  —  and  so,  one  day,  we 
safely  reached  our  ship.  To  those  approaching  such  a 
shore  in  a  boat,  prudence  would  give  the  advice  —  first, 
drop,  some  distance  outside  of  the  breakers,  a  kedge  or 
anchor,  for  aid  both  in  landing  on,  and  leaving,  the  reef. 
But  the  bottom  off  a  coral  island  is  often  bad  anchoring 
ground.  And  then,  if  the  kedge  thus  planted  holds  firm, 
in  spite  of  the  jerking  waves,  well  and  good.  If  not  — 

"  Ah !  if  not  —  "  exclaimed  Captain  Bradford,  drawing 
in  his  breath. 

"You  know  what  a  slip  would  mean,  Captain,"  said 
the  Professor,  gravely. 

"  Indeed,  I  do,"  was  the  answer. 

"  It  would  mean,  I  suppose,"  said  Eugene,  "  that  the 
poor  fellows  in  the  boat  would  never  get  back  to  their 
ship  alive." 

"That's  pretty  near  the  truth,"  assented  the  Captain. 

"I'm  afraid,  Chester,"  said  his  brother,  "we  shall  have 
to  be  careful  if  we  attempt  to  land  on  any  of  the  Low 
Islands  we  are  now  approaching." 

"  I  would  strongly  recommend  it,"  said  the  Professor. 

"Well,  what  does  Dana  say  next?"  asked  the  Captain. 

"  He  mentions  Fakaafo  or  Bowditch  Island,"  answered 
Chester. 


296  COMPLETED   ATOLLS. 

"  That  is  the  easternmost  of  three  small  atolls,  between 
the  meridians  of  171°  and  172£°  west,  and  a  little  south 
of  the  equator,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  And  two  hundred  miles  north  of  the  Samoan  group," 
added  the  Professor. 

"  Exactly,"  said  Chester. 

"  Well,  what  does  he  say  about  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  In  another  place,  I  notice,  he  says  it  is  the  type  of  a 
large  part  of  the  coral  islands.  '  The  bank  and  reef,'  he 
remarks,  '  has  only  here  and  there  emerged  from  the 
waves  and  become  verdant ;  in  other  portions  the  reef  is 
of  the  usual  height,  —  that  is,  near  low-tide  level,— 
excepting  a  few  spots  elevated  a  little  by  the  accumula- 
tion of  sand.'  Then,  in  the  passage  before  me,  he  says  : 
*  This  island  and  the  two  others  near  it  were  among  the 
few,  perhaps  the  last,  examples  that  remained  until  1840, 
of  Pacific  lands  never  before  visited  by  the  white  man. 
The  people,  therefore,  were  in  that  purely  savage  state 
which  Captain  Cook  found  almost  universal  through  the 
ocean  in  the  latter  part  of  last  century.  A  few  words 
respecting  our  reception  at  this  coral  island,  may  not, 
therefore,  be  an  improper  digression. 

"'The  islanders  knew  nothing  of  any  other  land  or 
people  —  an  ignorance  not  surprising,  since  the  lagoons 
of  the  group  have  no  good  entrances,  and  a  nation  cannot 
be  great  in  navigation  or  discovery  without  harbors.  As 
a  consequence,  our  presence  was  to  them  like  an  appari- 
tion. The  simple  inhabitants  took  us  for  gods  from  the 
sun,  and,  as  we  landed,  came  with  .abundant  gifts  of  such 
things  as  they  had,  to  propitiate  their  celestial  visitors. 
They,  no  doubt,  imagined  that  our  strange  ship  had 
sailed  off  from  the  sun  when  it  touched  the  water  at 
sunrise  or  sunset,  and  any  child  among  them  could  see 
that  this  was  a  reasonable  supposition.  The  king,  after 
embracing  Captain  Hudson,  as  the  latter  states  in  his 


COMPLETED   ATOLLS.  297 

journal,  rubbed  noses,  pointed  to  the  sun,  howled,  moaned, 
hugged  him  again  and  again,  put  a  mat  around  his  waist, 
securing  it  with  a  cord  of  human  hair,  and  repeated  the 
rubbing  of  noses  and  the  howling ;  and  the  moment  the 
captain  attempted  to  leave  his  side,  he  set  up  again  a 
most  piteous  howl,  and  repeated  in  a  tremulous  tone : 
"  Nofo  ki  lalo,  mataku  au"  "  Sit  down,  I  am  afraid." 
While  thus  in  fear  of  us,  they  showed  a  great  desire 
that  their  dreaded  visitors  should  depart ;  some  pointed 
to  the  sun,  and  asked  by  their  gestures  about  our  coming 
thence,  or  hinted  to  us  to  be  off  again. 

"  *  But  with  all  their  reverence  toward  their  mysterious 
guests,  they  became  after  awhile  quite  familiar,  and  took 
advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  steal  from  us.  Our 
botanist  gave  his  collecting-box  to  one  of  them  to  hold, 
and,  the  moment  his  back  was  turned,  off  the  native  ran, 
and  a  hard  chase  was  required  to  recover  it  —  a  most 
undignified  run  on  the  part  of  the  celestial. 

" '  While  the  men  wore  the  maro,  the  equivalent  of 
tight-fitting  breeches,  six  inches  or  less  in  length,  the 
women  were  attired  in  a  simple  bloomer  costume,  con- 
sisting solely  of  a  petticoat  or  apron,  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  long,  made  of  a  large  number  of  slit  cocoanut 
leaves,  and  kept  well  oiled.  Besides  this  they  had  on, 
as  ornaments,  necklaces  of  shell  or  bone.  The  girls  and 
boys  were  dressed  au  naturel,  after  the  style  in  the 
garden  of  Eden.  These  primitive  fashions,  however, 
were  not  peculiar  to  the  group,  being  in  vogue  also  in 
other  parts  of  the  Pacific.' 

"  In  a  beautiful  grove  of  cocoanut  trees,  the  sacred  or 
public  house  of  the  island  is  situated  — '  a  well-made 
structure,'  he  says,  '  measuring  fifty  feet  by  thirty-five, 
in  length  and  breadth,  and  twenty  feet  in  height.  In 
front  of  the  building  stands  the  deity  of  the  place,  con- 
sisting of  a  block  of  stone  fourteen  feet  high,  enveloped 


298  COMPLETED   ATOLLS. 

in  mats ;  and  also  near  by,  a  smaller  idol,  partially  cov- 
ered with  matting.'  Here  and  there  are  young  cocoanut 
palms  —  usually  more  beautiful  objects  than  the  full- 
grown  trees. 

"As  a  set  off  against  the  geographical  ignorance  of 
these  islanders,  the  Professor  remarks,  that  Captain  Hud- 
son and  the  best  map-makers  of  the  age  knew  nothing 
of  the  existence  of  Bowditch  Island  until  he  discovered 
it ;  and  from  him  comes  the  name  it  bears,  given  in 
honor  of  the  celebrated  author  of  *  Bowditch's  Naviga- 
tor' as  well  as  of  the  translation  of  Laplace's  'Me"canique 
Celeste.' " 

"  Wilkes  says  of  these  people  that  they  are  all  finely 
formed,  and  are  manly  in  appearance,  with  pleasing 
countenances  that  express  good  nature,"  observed  the 
Professor,  presently. 

"  Yes,  I  remember,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  and  he 
says  they  wear  eye-shades  and  ornaments,  and  are  curi- 
ously tattooed." 

"Ah,  yes;  very  much  after  the  manner  of  the  Duke 
of  York  islanders,"  rejoined  the  Professor. 

"  That  island  is  not  far  distant  from  Bowditch  or 
Fakaafo,  is  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"No;  it  is  just  to  the  north,"  answered  the  Captain; 
"and  in  Wilkes's  time  was  subject  to  Fakaafo." 

"  I  suppose  it  is  similar  in  size  and  general  appearance  ?" 

"  It  is  much  smaller,  being  only  three  miles  in  length, 
and  not  more  than  two  and  a  half  miles  wide  in  its 
broadest  part.  It  is  a  lagoon  island,  and,  of  course,  of 
coral  formation.  The  islets  that  have  been  formed  on 
the  reef  are  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  water,  and  are 
covered  with  cocoanut  and  pandanus  trees." 

"  The  inhabitants,  I  infer,  are  very  like  their  neigh- 
bors, in  habits  and  disposition." 

"They  are  said,  in  general,  to  be  very  shy,  especially 


COMPLETED    ATOLLS.  299 

of  white  men,"  answered  the  Captain ;  "  but  some  of 
them,  I  am  told,  display  confidence  and  boldness  in  the 
presence  of  strangers." 

"  Do  they  live  together,  or  scattered  over  the  island  ?  " 

"  They  live  in  villages,  on  the  inner  or  lagoon  side  of 
the  island,  one  of  which  contains  some  forty  houses, 
which  are  raised  a  foot  or  more  above  the  surrounding 
earth.  They  are  of  oblong  shape,  about  fifteen  feet  high 
to  the  ridge-pole,  sloping  gradually,  and  of  a  convex 
form  to  within  two  or  three  feet  of  the  ground ;  the  roof 
is  supported  on  high  posts,  while  the  lower  part  rests  on 
short  ones,  three  feet  within  the  eaves,  having  a  strong 
piece  extending  around,  on  which  the  rafters  are  tied ; 
the  gable-ends  are  over-topped  by  the  roof,  and  seem 
necessary  to  protect  them  from  the  weather.  Below  the 
eaves,  the  whole  are  open  from  the  ground  to  the  roof. 
The  thatching,  made  of  pandanus  leaves,  is  of  great 
thickness,  and  put  on  loosely.  The  interior  of  the 
houses  are  very  clean,  but  there  is  no  furniture  except 
a  few  goards,  and  a  reclining  stool,  cut  from  a  solid 
block  of  wood,  having  two  legs  at  one  end,  which  in- 
clines it  at  an  angle  of  nearly  forty-five  degrees.  This 
stool  they  consider  a  great  luxury. 

"  The  most  remarkable  constructions  of  the  islanders 
near  the  principal  village,  is  severaj  small  quays,  five  or 
six  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  above  the  water,  forming  slips 
about  ten  feet  wide.  At  the  end  of  each  of  these  is  a 
small  house,  built  of  pandanus  leaves,  partly  on  poles 
in  the  water.  These  appear  to  be  placed  for  securing 
their  canoes,  and  keeping  their  fishing  implements,  which 
are  of  the  greatest  importance  to  them." 

"  Who  discovered  the  island,"  asked  Eugene,  turning 
to  the  Professor. 

"It  was    discovered    by   Byron,   in    1765,"   was    the 
answer ;   "  but  he  supposed  it  to  be  destitute  of  inhab- 
itants, and  so  reported  it." 
13 


300  COMPLETED   ATOLLS. 

"  What  name  do  the  natives  give  it  ?  " 

"  They  call  it  Oatafu." 

"  I  like  that  better  than  the  Duke  of  York's,  and  there- 
fore shall  use  it." 

"The  Duke  of  Clarence  Island  is  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  I  believe,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  It  is  only  a  few  miles  distant,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  It  is  larger  than  the  Duke  of  York's." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  almost  seven  and  a  quarter  miles  long,  and 
five  miles  wide.  It  is  of  a  triangular  shape." 

"  A  great  many  of  these  coral  islands  are  uninhabited, 
are  they  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  and  for  my  part, 
I  confess,  I  have  always  been  fascinated  by  Wilkes's 
description  of  his  visit  to  one  of  them." 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  Professor,"  exclaimed  Eugene, 
eagerly. 

"  The  island  was  Henuake,  Houden,  or  Dog  Island, 
one  of  the  Paumotous,"  said  the  Professor,  "  and  they 
came  up  with  it  about  noon.  '  The  boats,'  remarks 
Wilkes, '  were  at  once  dispatched,  in  order  to  ascertain 
if  a  landing  could  be  effected,  and  the  ships  began  the 
surveying  operations.  The  number  of  birds  seen  hover- 
ing over  the  island  was  an  indication  that  it  was  not 
inhabited,  which  proved  to  be  the  case.  Several  turtles 
were  caught,  and  a  number  of  specimens  obtained.  The 
survey  of  the  island  not  having  been  completed,  we  lay 
by  all  night,  and  early  in  the  morning  dispatched  boats 
to  complete  the  examination  of  it,  and  to  effect  a  land- 
ing. The  greater  part  of  the  day  was  spent  on  the 
island. 

"  *  The  landing  on  a  coral  island,'  he  then  says, 
'  effectually  does  away  with  all  preconceived  notions  of 
its  beauty,  and  any  previous  ideas  formed  in  its  favor  are 
immediately  put  to  flight.  That  verdure  which  seemed 


COMPLETED   ATOLLS.  301 

from  a  distant  view  to  carpet  the  whole  island,  was  in 
reality  but  a  few  patches  of  wiry  grass,  obstructing  the 
walking,  and  offering  neither  fruit  nor  flowers  to  view ; 
it  grew  among  the  rugged  coral  debris,  with  a  little  sand 
and  vegetable  earth.' " 

"  Nothing  fascinating  about  that,  as  I  can  see,"  said 
Eugene,  in  a  disappointed  tone. 

"  No ;  but  wait  a  little,"  returned  the  Professor,  and 
then  continued : 

"'The  principal  trees  and  shrubs  are  the  pandanus, 
boerhaavia,  and  pisonia.  It  is  somewhat  surprising  that 
a  few  trees,  forty  or  fifty  feet  high,  should  have  found 
sufficient  soil  to  protect  their  growth.  Most  of  the  trees, 
however,  are  of  stunted  size,  being  not  more  than  ten  to 
fifteen  feet  in  height,  and  eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 

" '  The  number  of  birds  on  the  island  was  incredible, 
and  they  were  so  tame  as  to  require  to  be  pushed  off 
their  nests  to  get  their  eggs.  The  most  conspicuous 
among  them  was  the  frigate-bird ;  many  of  the  trees 
were  covered  with  their  nests,  constructed  of  a  few 
sticks.  The  old  birds  were  seen,  as  they  flew  off,  inflat- 
ing their  blood-red  pouches  to  the  size  of  a  child's  head, 
and  looking  as  if  a  large  bladder  were  attached  to  their 
necks.  The  gannets,  sooty  terns,  and  the  beautiful 
tropic-bird,  were  in  countless  numbers ;  the  former 
guarding  their  eggs  (which  were  laid  on  the  ground 
without  a  nest)  with  care,  remaining  by  them,  and  even 
suffering  themselves  to  be  captured  without  resistance. 
Their  hoarse  croaking  was  quite  deafening. 

" '  Some  droll  sights  were  seen  of  crabs  walking  off 
with  snakes,  and  both  again  seized  by  some  stout  bird 
and  borne  away.  Armies  of  soldier  or  piratical  crabs 
(Paguri)  were  seen  moving  in  all  directions  with  their 
shells.  We  enjoyed  ourselves  much,  and  found  no  use 
for  our  guns,  powder,  and  shot ;  as  many  specimens  as 


302  COMPLETED   ATOLLS. 

we  could  desire  were  taken  with  the  hand,  both  old  and 
young.  In  some  cases  the  tropic-birds  were  taken  off 
their  nests,  and  from  others  their  eggs  were  taken  with- 
out disturbing  them ;  indeed,  I  have  never  seen  any 
barn-yard  fowls  half  so  tame. 

" '  The  various  snakes,  the  many-colored  fish,  the  great 
eels,  enormous  and  voracious  .sharks,  large  mollusks, 
curious  lepidoptera,  and  spiders,  with  their  webs  stretch- 
ing in  every  direction,  and  occasioning  us  much  annoy- 
ance, seemed  to  have  quiet  possession ;  all  gave  a  novelty 
to  the  scene,  that  highly  interested  and  delighted  us. 
In  the  afternoon  we  returned  on  board,  loaded  with 
specimens ;  and  the  survey  being  completed,  we  bore 
away  on  our  course.' " 

"  No  wonder  you  were  fascinated,"  exclaimed  Eugene, 
with  enthusiasm ;  "  and  I  fancy  you  would  like  a  few  of 
the  specimens  he  mentions." 

"  I  don't  deny  it,"  smiled  the  Professor. 

"  But  I  noticed  he  says  nothing  of  the  cocoanut  palm," 
observed  Chester. 

"  There  are  no. cocoanut  palms  on  the  island,"  returned 
the  Professor ;  "  nor  is  there  any  fresh  water  to  be  found." 

"  And  yet  you  speak  of  armies  of  the  robber  crab ! " 
exclaimed  Chester. 

"  Well,  and  what  then  ?" 

"  I  thought  they  lived  on  cocoanuts,  chiefly.  What  do 
they  find  to  eat  ?  " 

"  You  forget  the  snakes." 

"  True ;  but  I  fancy  there  are  not  enough  snakes  to 
supply  armies." 

"  No ;  but  there  are  plenty  of  fish  and  young  birds." 

"  Do  the  crabs  eat  fish  and  birds  ?" 

"  Darwin  says,  in  speaking  of  his  visit  to  St.  Paul's,  an 
island,  or  rather  a  cluster  of  rocks  in  the  Atlantic,  near 
the  equator, '  By  the  side  of  many  of  these  nests  [terns'] 


COMPLETED    ATOLLS.  303 

a  small  flying-fish  was  placed;  which,  I  suppose,  had 
been  brought  by  the  male  bird  for  its  partner.  It  was 
amusing  to  watch  how  quickly  a  large  and  active  crab 
((•rraspws),  which  inhabits  the  crevices  of  the  rock,  stole 
the  fish  from  the  side  of  the  nest,  as  soon  as  we  had  dis- 
turbed the  parent  birds.  Sir  W.  Symonds,  one  of  the 
few  persons  who  have  landed  here,'  he  adds, '  informs  me 
that  he  saw  the  crabs  dragging  even  the  young  birds  out 
of  their  nests,  and  devouring  them.' " 

"  Why,"  said  Chester,  "  it  was  from  him  I  got  the 
impression  that  they  live  chiefly  on  cocoanuts." 

"  What  does  he  say  about  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

His  brother  picked  up  a  book,  and  having  speedily 
found  the  place,  answered  : 

"  This  is  what  he  says :  '  I  have  before  alluded  to  a 
crab  which  lives  on  the  cocoanut ;  it  is  very  common  on 
all  parts  of  the  dry  land,  and  grows  to  a  monstrous 
size ;  it  is  closely  allied  or  identical  with  the  Birgos  latro. 
The  front  pair  of  legs  terminate  in  very  strong  and 
heavy  pincers,  and  the  last  pair  are  fitted  with  others 
weaker  and  much  narrower.  It  would  at  first  be  thought 
quite  impossible  for  a  crab  to  open  a  strong  cocoanut 
covered  with 'the  husk;  but  Mr.  Liesk  assures  me  that 
he  has  repeatedly  seen  this  effected.  The  crab  begins  by 
tearing  the  husk,  fiber  by  fiber,  and  always  from  that 
end  under  which  the  three  eye-holes  are  situated ;  when 
this  is  completed,  the  crab  commences  hammering  with 
its  heavy  claw  on  one  of  the  eye-holes  till  an  opening  is 
made.  Then  turning  round  its  body,  by  the  aid  of  its 
posterior  and  narrow  pair  of  pincers,  it  extracts  the 
white  albuminous  substance.  I  think  this  is  as  curious 
a  case  of  instinct  as  ever  I  heard  of,  and  likewise  of 
adaptation  in  structure  between  two  objects  apparently 
so  remote  from  each  other  in  the  scheme  of  nature,  as  a 
crab  and  a  cocoanut  tree.  The  Birgos  is  diurnal  in  its 


304  COMPLETED   ATOLLS. 

habits ;  but  every  night  it  is  said  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
sea,  no  doubt  for  the  purpose  of  moistening  its  branchiae. 
The  young  are  likewise  hatched,  and  live  for  some  time, 
on  the  coast.  These  crabs  inhabit  deep  burrows,  which 
they  hollow  out  beneath  the  roots  of  trees ;  and  where 
they  accumulate  surprising  quantities  of  the  picked  fibers 
of  the  cocoanut  husk,  on  which  they  rest  as  on  a  bed. 
The  Malays  sometimes  take  advantage  of  this,  and  col- 
lect the  fibrous  mass  to  use  as  junk.  These  crabs  are 
very  good  to  eat ;  moreover,  under  the  tail  of  the  larger 
one's  there  is  a  great  mass  of  fat,  which,  when  melted, 
sometimes  yields  as  much  as  a  quart  bottle  full  of  limpid 
oil.  It  has  been  stated  by  some  authors  that  the  Birgos 
crawls  up  the  cocoanut  trees  for  the  purpose  of  stealing 
the  nuts  :  I  very  much  doubt  the  possibility  of  this ;  but 
with  the  pandanus  the  task  would  be  very  much  easier. 
I  was  told  by  Mr.  Liesk  that  on  these  islands  the  Birgos 
lives  only  on  the  nuts  which  have  fallen  to  the  ground. 

" '  Captain  Moresby  informs  me  that  this  crab  inhabits 
the  Chagos  and  Seychelle  groups,  but  not  the  neighbor- 
ing Maldiva  Archipelago.  It  formerly  abounded  at  Mau- 
ritius, but  only  a  few  small  ones  are  now  found  there. 
In  the  Pacific,  this  species,  or  one  with  closely  allied 
habits,  is  said  to  inhabit  a  single  coral  island,  north  of 
the  Society  group.  To  show  the  wonderful  strength  of 
the  front  pair  of  pincers,  I  may  mention,  that  Captain 
.Moresby  confined  one  in  a  strong  tin  box,  which  had 
held  biscuits,  the  lid  being  secured  with  wire ;  but  the 
crab  turned  down  the  edges  and  escaped.  In  turning 
down  the  edges,  it  actually  punched  many  small  holes 
quite  through  the  tin  ! '  There,  what  have  you  to  say  to 
that  ? "  demanded  Chester  in  triumph,  as  he  threw  down 
the  book. 

"That's  all  very  well,  my  young  friend,"  responded 
the  Professor,  quietly,  "  but  I  must  inform  you  that  the 


COMPLETED    ATOLLS,  305 

robber  crab  (birgus)  is  not  the  same  as  the  hermit  or 
soldier  crab.  I  noticed  your  mistake  at  first,  but  thought 
I  would  lead  you  on  a  little,  and  so  hear  what  you  had 
to  say  before  I  set  you  right." 

"  Not  the  same  ! "  exclaimed  Chester,  "  why,  Darwin 
says,  only  a  few  pages  back,  and  speaking  of  the  same 
islands,  '  In  every  part  one  meets  hermit  crabs  of  more 
than  one  species,  carrying  on  their  backs  the  shells 
which  they  have  stolen  from  the  neighboring  beach.' 
And  you  know  Wilkes  distinctly  says,  '  the  soldier  or 
piratical  crabs  were  seen  moving  in  all  directions  with 
their  shells?  " 

"Very  true,"  rejoined  the  Professor;  and  yet,  you 
have  got  two  species  mixed.  Let  me  put  the  matter 
plainly  before  you :  Without  doubt  Darwin  found  on  the 
Keeling  or  Cocos  Islands,  of  which  you  have  just  been 
reading,  both  the  hermit  and  the  robber  crab,  and,  per- 
haps, other  species.  Now  the  hermit's  peculiar  habit  of 
living  in  the  spiral  shells  of  mollusks  is  well  known. 
The  shells -which  they  inhabit  are  often  covered  with 
hydroids  or  other  foreign  substances,  and  some  species 
always  have  an  actinia  upon  the  shell,  as  Dana  will  tell 
you.  The  hind  part  of  the  body  and  the  abdomen  are 
soft,  protected  only  by  a  thin  integument,  and  the  ab- 
domen is  one-sided  and  curved  spirally,  so  as  to  fit  the 
shells  which  they  always  inhabit  and  drag  about  with 
them,  while  the  legs  and  claws  are  all  directed  forward 
and  occupy  the  opening  of  the  shell.  From  time  to 
time,  as  they  increase  in  size,  they  exchange  their  shells 
for  larger  ones.  When  changing  the  shells,  combats 
between  individuals  sometimes  take  place  for  the  posses- 
sion of  the  more  desirable  shells,  and  this  has  given  rise 
to  their  familiar  name.  Some  of  the  species  in  the  trop- 
ics are  terrestrial,  like  the  land  crabs,  and  travel  long 
distances  from  the  sea  and  even  up  among  mountains, 


306  COMPLETED    ATOLLS. 

carrying  the  marine  shells  with  them.  The  robber  crab, 
Chester,  is  an  enormous  terrestrial  crab,  allied  to  the 
hermit  crabs,  I  admit,  but  it  does  not  inhabit  shells,  the 
abdomen  being  shorter  and  covered  with  a  hard  integu- 
ment. It  feeds  upon  cocoanuts,  climbing  the  trees,  as  I 
am  able  to  state  on  other  authority  than  Darwin,  and 
breaks  open  the  fruit  with  its  claws,  which,  as  you  have 
informed  us,  are  adapted  to  the  purpose." 

"  I  give  in,"  said  Chester,  decidedly ;  "  you  have  the 
best  of  it  this  time,  Professor,  without  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt." 

"  Then,  that  being  settled,"  said  the  Captain,  "  I  beg 
we  may  stop  right  here  for  to-day,"  and  the  others  acqui- 
escing, he  hurried  on  deck. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PAUMOTOU  ARCHIPELAGO. 

rTIHE  next  morning,  the  weather  being  fine,  our 
JL  friends  once  more  sought  their  old  places  on  the 
quarter-deck ;  and  Eugene,  eager  to  take  up  the  subject 
in  which  all  were  so  deeply  interested,  before  they  were 
hardly  seated,  abruptly  asked  : 

"  Was  n't  it  said  yesterday  that  Paumotou  was  nomi- 
nally subject  to  Tahiti  ?  " 

"  Very  likely,"  answered  the  Professor.  "  At  any  rate, 
Tahiti  has  claimed  sovereignty  over  the  archipelago  for 
years." 

"Then,"  said  Eugene,  " Tahiti,  having  become  subject 
to  France,  I  suppose  that  greedy  nation  claims  Paumotou 
also." 

"  Without  doubt  she  does,"  rejoined  the  Professor. 
"  She  has  a  Catholic  mission  at  Maugareva,  and  priests 
stationed  here  and  there  throughout  the  group.  On  the 
most  frequented  islands  the  natives  now  wear  clothes  of 
European  fashion." 

"  What  is  the  population  of  the  group?"  asked  Chester. 

"The  best  authorities  put  it  at  between  10,000  and 
12,000,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Is  it  possible  !  "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  And  all  living 
on  low  coral  islands  !  " 

"  Ah,  but  you  must  remember  there  is  '  a  cloud '  of 
them  —  between  eighty  and  ninety  of  considerable  size." 

"  Which  of  them  is  the  best  known  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Perhaps  Anaa  or  Chain  Island,  and  then  there  is 
Pitcairn." 

13*  (307) 


308  THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

"  Chain  Island ! "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  What  have  I 
heard  about  that?  They  were  a  warlike  people,  were 
they  not  ? " 

"  They  were,  but  are  so  no  longer,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Is  it  a  large  island  ? " 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  is  one  of  the  smallest,  yet  it  is 
the  most  densely  populated  of  the  group." 

"  How  many  inhabitants  are  there  ? " 

"  It  is  said  to  contain  five  thousand,  which  large 
number  is  accounted  for  by  the  conquest,  years  ago,  of 
the  other  islands,  and  taking  their  inhabitants  off  as 
captives." 

"Why,  it  contains  nearly  half  the  population  of  the 
archipelago ! " 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  just  explained  how  it  came  about." 

"  I  should  think  they  would  be  over-crowded.  Can 
they  find  enough  to  eat,  without  devouring  each  other  ?  " 

"  The  whole  island  is  one  great  cocoanut  grove,  and 
the  principal  food  is  fish  and  cocoanuts.  The  former  are 
caught  in  large  quantities  in  the  lagoon.  Hence,  not- 
withstanding the  numerous  population,  they  have  an 
abundance  of  food.  A  great  change  was  brought  about 
in  the  character  of  these  islanders  by  the  Tahitian  mis- 
sionaries who  settled  at  Anaa.  Before  their  coming, 
the  inhabitants  were  cannibals.  Since  then  they  have 
imbibed  better  tastes ;  and  the  Christian  influence  has 
also  made  them  more  peaceful.  This  change  was  first 
evinced  by  the  treatment  of  their  captives,  whom  they 
permitted  to  return,  if  they  chose,  to  their  own  islands ; 
but  very  many  of  them  had  married  at  Anaa,  and  become 
permanent  residents  there,  and  few  took  advantage  of 
the  permission  to  depart." 

"The  Paumotouans  were  considered  more  warlike  than 
the  Tahitians,  were  they  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer ;  "  and  for  that  reason  Poinare 


THE  PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  309 

I.  kept  a  body-guard  of  them  in  preference  to  his  own 
subjects.  They  have  a  reputation,  too,  for  being  an 
honest  and  trustworthy  people." 

"  Are  they  all  of  the  same  race  ?  " 

"  They  are  not ;  that  is  a  settled  fact.  The  inhabitants 
of  the  Disappointment  group  in  particular  differ  from  the 
others.  They  have  strong,  wiry  beards  and  mustaches ; 
and  strange  as  it  may  seem,  greatly  resemble  the  Fijians." 

"  There  are  only  two  islands  of  any  consequence  in  that 
group,  or  cluster,  I  believe  ? "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  That  is  all :  Wytoohee  and  Otooho.  Wytoohee  is 
formed  of  islets  connected  by  a  washed  coral  reef,  of 
irregular  shape,  with  a  lagoon  having  many  knolls  in  it, 
of  various  sizes,  some  four  or  five  feet  above  the  surface. 
The  islanders  speak,  or  at  least  understand,  the  Tahitian 
language,  are  naturally  shrewd,  and  inclined  to  be  peace- 
able. They  spend  much  time  upon  the  water,  fishing. 
Their  canoes  are  quite  small,  being  only  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  feet  in  length.  They  generally  contain  two,  and 
sometimes  three  natives.  Each  canoe  has  an  outrigger, 
and  a  projecting  point,  both  before  and  behind,  by  which 
they  get  into  them  from  the  water.  They  are  formed  of 
strips  of  cocoanut-wood  sewed  together.  Two  persons 
can  carry  them.  Their  paddles  are  curved  backwards. 
Their  neighbors  on  the  island  of  Otooho,  though  not 
'numerous,  have  a  bad  name." 

"You  mentioned  Pitcairn  Island  as  one  of  the  best 
known  of  the  Paumotous,"  remarked  Eugene.  I  was  not 
even  aware  that  it  was  classed  with  the  group." 

"  While  in  one  sense  it  is  an  isle  by  itself,  —  a  lone 
isle,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  in  another  it  rightly  be- 
longs to  the  archipelago,  and  is  so  classed  by  the  best 
authorities." 

"  At  any  rate,  it  is  not  of  coral  formation,"  persisted 
Eugene. 


310  THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

"  Certainly  not ;  it  is  volcanic,  and  is  greatly  elevated, 
the  highest  peak  being  nearly  2,500  feet  above  the  sea. 
Far  off  it  looks  like  a  desolate  rock,  rising  steep  from 
the  ocean,  and,  indeed,  it  is  surrounded  by  cliffs  which 
preclude  the  possibility  of  landing  except  in  two  or  three 
spots." 

"  It  is  very  small,  I  believe,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes ;  its  extreme  length  is  only  two  and  a  quarter 
miles,  and  its  breadth  but  one  mile." 

"  Is  it  well  watered  ? " 

"  There  are  a  few  small  streams,  but  they  are  liable  to 
fail  at  certain  seasons,  when  the  inhabitants  depend  upon 
water  preserved  in  tanks." 

"It's  a  lovely  spot,  any  way,"  exclaimed  the  Captain. 
"  The  temperature  ranges  between  59°  and  90°,  and  the 
climate  is  remarkably  healthy.  The  soil  is  rich  and  fer- 
tile, and  the  island  is  everywhere  thickly  clothed  with  a 
luxuriant  vegetation." 

"  Then,  too,"  added  the  Professor,  "  several  tropical 
fruits  and  vegetables  are  indigenous,  and  many  others, 
together  with  some  of  those  belonging  to  temperate 
regions,  have  been  successfully  introduced." 

"They  have  a  variety  of  domestic  animals,  I  have 
heard,"  said  Chester. 

"  All  the  domestic  animals  except  the  horse  are  to  be 
found  on  the  island,  and  goats  are  very  numerous  in  the 
more  inaccessible  parts." 

"  When  was  the  island  discovered  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  In  1767,  by  Carteret,"  was  the  answer. 

"  He  named  it,  I  suppose,"  said  the  young  man. 

w  Yes ;  after  one  of  his  officers,  who  was  the  first  to 
see  it." 

"  Pitcairn,  —  there  was  a  British  officer  of  that  name 
who  was  killed  in  our  War  of  the  Revolution." 

"Yes,"  assented  the  Professor;  "Major  Pitcairn;  it 
was  his  son." 


THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  311 

"  The  island  is  quite  a  monument  to  his  memory,"  said 
Chester;  "for  it  is  not  only,  as  you  remarked  a  while 
ago,  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  Paumotous,  but  of  all 
the  isles  of  the  Pacific." 

"  Quite  true,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  its  chief 
interest  is  derived  from  the  results  of  a  great  crime." 

"  A  crime !  I  beg  to  differ  with  you  there,  Professor," 
said  Chester,  quite  warmly,  "  I  hold  that  Christian  was 
perfectly  justified  in  what  he  did.  Bligh  was  a  brute 
and  a  tyrant." 

"  Well,  well,  my  dear  young  friend,  we  won't  dispute 
about  the  matter.  I  by  no  means  hold  Captain  Bligh 
guiltless.  His  after  life  proves  him  all  you  say." 

" I  have  often  read  the  story  of  the  Bounty"  remarked 
Eugene ;  "  but  I  wish  you  would  give  us  the  main  facts, 
Professor ;  just  to  refresh  our  memories." 

"  The  British  government,"  said  the  Professor,  ac- 
quiescing, "  sent  out  the  Bounty  to  convey  plants  of 
the  bread-fruit  tree  from  Tahiti  to  the  West  Indies. 
The  vessel  arrived  at  Tahiti  at  the  wrong  season  for 
transplanting,  and  was  compelled  to  remain  there  six 
months,  during  which  time  the  crew  enjoyed  unusual 
liberties,  and  formed  strong  attachments  among  the 
natives.  A  few  days  after  sailing,  April  28,  1789,  the 
crew  mutinied,  and  turned  the  captain  and  those  who 
would  not  join  them  adrift  in  an  open  boat.  Marvelous 
to  relate,  this  boat  and  all  on  board  made  a  safe  voyage 
of  three  thousand  miles,  and  landed  at  Timor  in  the 
East  Indian  Archipelago.  The  mutineers  returned  to 
Tahiti.  Nine  of  them  took  Tahitian  wives,  and  with 
nine  other  Tahitians  put  to  sea  in  the  Bounty  and  made 
for  Pitcairn  Island. 

"  They  reached  the  island  in  safety,  landing  at  Bounty 
Bay,  and  destroyed  their  ship  to  avoid  discovery.  The 
Tahitian  men  were  now  reduced  to  slavery,  and  made 


312  THE   PAUMOTOU    ARCHIPELAGO. 

to  work.  Houses  were  built  and  land  cultivated.  For  a 
time  all  went  well ;  but  at  length  the  slaves  rebelled,  and 
in  the  struggle  which  followed  all  were  destroyed,  to- 
gether with  several  of  the  whites,  including  Christian 
himself. 

"  Within  a  few  short  years  only  one  of  the  Bounty's 
men  was  left  alive  on  the  Island.  This  was  John  Adams. 
But  he  was  not  alone,  with  him  were  the  Tahitian  women, 
and  twenty  fatherless  children,  all  looking  to  him  for 
guidance.  He  formed  a  noble  resolution.  He  became 
their  instructor,  and  soon  the  children  learned  to  love 
him,  and  called  him  father. 

"  This  would  have  been  a  happy  time  for  John  Adams 
but  for  one  drawback :  he  always  lived  in  fear  of  dis- 
covery. But  no  vessel  of  any  nation  touched  at  the 
island  until  1808,  when  Captain  Folger  of  Nantucket, 
while  on  a  scaling  voyage  in  this  ocean,  called  there, 
supposing  it  to  be  uninhabited.  He  was  greatly  sur- 
prised therefore  to  see  a  canoe  with  two  men  of  a  light 
brownish  complexion  approach  his  ship,  and  request  in 
good  -English  that  a  rope  should  be  thrown  them.  These 
of  course,  were  two  of  Adams's  pupils,  and  to  the  aston- 
ished captain  they  told  their  fathers'  story. 

"  Still,  although  the  lost  had  been  found,  the  English 
seem  not  to  have  heard  of  it ;  for  it  was  not  until  1814 
that  two  British  men-of-war  entered  Bounty  Bay.  They 
too  were  visited  by  the  young  islanders,  and  appear  to 
have  been  as  much  astonished  by  their  story  as  was 
Captain  Folger.  The  young  Pitcairners  were  generously 
entertained,  and  the  officers  accompanied  them  ashore. 
They  found  a  community  of  forty-six  persons,  mostly 
grown-up  young  people,  with  a  few  infants.  The  young 
men  and  women  were  tall,  handsome,  athletic,  and 
graceful,  and  their  faces  beamed  with  kindness  and 
good  humor.  Adams  assured  the  visitors  that  they  were 


THE   PAUMOTOU"  ARCHIPELAGO.  313 

strictly  honest  and  religious,  industrious,  and  affectionate. 
They  were  dressed  in  native  cloth  made  from  the  bark  of 
trees.  Their  houses  were  neat,  pleasantly  situated,  and 
comfortably  furnished.  They  had  some  useful  tools  and 
utensils,  made  out  of  the  iron  of  the  Bounty ;  and  before 
leaving,  the  English  officers  gave  them  more. 

"  The  next  vessel  to  visit  the  island  was  an  American 
whaler,  she  had  on  board  a  serious-minded  man  named 
John  Buffett,  who  was  so  pleased  with  the  people  that  he 
resolved  to  remain  among  them  and  devote  his  life  to 
their  service.  He  became  the  school-master,  and  was 
soon  a  prominent  personage  in  the  community. 

"  In  1825  Captain  Beechey,  in  the  English  ship  Blos- 
som,  arrived.  He  spent  some  days  on  shore  with  several 
of  his  men.  Almost  every  family  entertained  them,  and 
they  became  thoroughly  familiar  with  baked  pig,  sweet- 
potatoes,  taro,  and  yams.  These  were  cooked  in  holes  in 
the  ground,  after  the  Polynesian  manner. 

"  Does  n't  Captain  Beechey  say  something  about  their 
beds  in  one  of  his  letters?"  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  He  says  the  mattresses  were  made  of  palm-leaves, 
covered  with  sheets  of  cloth  made  out  of  the  bark  of  the 
paper-mulberry  tree." 

"  The  people  at  this  time  were  intensely  religious,  were 
they  not  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  and  like  wise  men  they  were  careful  to  keep 
holy  the  Sabbath-day.  No  work  was  done  on  that  day, 
nor  any  boat  allowed  to  leave  the  shore.  And  Beechey 
says  of  them :  '  They  live  in  perfect  harmony  and  con- 
tentment, are  virtuous  and  cheerful,  and  are  hospitable 
beyond  the  limits  of  prudence.' " 

"  When  did  good  John  Adams  die  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  In  1829,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  and  while  the  Pitcairners 
greatly  mourned  his  loss  they  were  not  left  without  a 
leader.  The  year  before,  George  Nobbs,  who  had  been 


314  THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

an  officer  in  the  Chilian  service,  came  to  live  among 
them.  He  was  a  sincere  follower  of  our  Saviour,  and 
a  very  worthy  man.  He  married  a  granddaughter  of 
Christian,  and  became  the  pastor,  teacher,  and  physician 
for  the  islanders,  who  now  numbered  sixty-eight  persons." 

"  He  has  recently  died,  I  believe,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes ;  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five,  after  serving 
this  people  for  fifty-six  years." 

"I  am  sure  he  was  a  good  man,"  said  Eugene,  musingly. 

"  I  tell  you,  my  young  friends,"  rejoined  the  Professor, 
impressively,  "  his  was  a  worthy  life,  and  he  has  gone  to 
a  sure  reward." 

"  What  astonishes  me,"  remarked  the  Captain,  after  a 
moment's  pause, "  is  the  indescribable  charm  these  people 
throw  around  them.  No  sailor,  however  bad  he  may  be, 
ever  thinks  of  doing  wrong  there.  He  seems  to  feel  the 
influence  of  the  place  the  moment  he  touches  land." 

"There  is  no  liquor  to  be  had  on  the  island,  I  suppose," 
said  Eugene. 

"  No,  indeed,"  answered  the  Captain ;  "  no  intoxicating 
liquors  are  allowed  there,  except,  perhaps,  a  little  for 
medicinal  purposes." 

"  Sensible  people !  "  quoth  Eugene,  approvingly. 

"  A  part  of  them,  and,  indeed,  the  larger  part,  are  now 
living  on  Norfolk  Island,  are  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor ;  "  in  1856  the  popula- 
tion had  increased  to  194,  and  it  was  thought  the  island 
was  getting  over-crowded.  The  British  government 
therefore  transferred  the  people  to  Norfolk  Island.  Six 
families,  numbering  forty  persons,  becoming  dissatisfied, 
and  perhaps  home-sick,  have  returned  to  Pitcairn,  and 
have  now  increased,  I  hear,  to  114,  while  the  Norfolk 
Islanders  number  not  far  from  500." 

"Did  Mr.  Nobbs  return  to  Pitcairn?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  No,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  he  remained  with  the 
larger  number,  and  died  on  Norfolk  Island." 


THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  315 

"Has  their  more  frequent  contact  with  the  world 
made  any  bad  impression  on  them  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"No;  they  remain  the  same  kind,  true-hearted,  God- 
fearing people ;  and  so,  I  trust,  they  will  continue  to  the 
end." 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  if  all  the  islanders  in  the 
Pacific  were  only  like  these,  one  might  gladly  make  his 
home  among  them,  and  enjoy  an  earthly  paradise." 

"  If  they  only  were,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  but  just  think 
of  some  of  them ! " 

"  We  must  have  patience,  my  friends,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor. "  The  good  work  is  going  on.  The  missionaries 
have  done  much  here  already,  and  are  doing  more  now." 

"  But  are  they,  really  ? "  asked  Eugene.  "  I  have 
heard  so  many  conflicting  stories  on  that  point  that  I 
hardly  know  what  to  believe." 

"  There  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  on  the  subject,"  was 
the  Professor's  emphatic  reply.  "  Did  n't  Mr.  Clark  bear 
willing  testimony  to  the  fact  ?  and  have  n't  our  best  naval 
officers  spoken  in  the  missionaries'  praise  ?  What  does 
Wilkes  say,  on  the  occasion  of  his  visit  to  Raraka,  just 
after  leaving  the  Disappointment  Islands  ?  '  Nothing,' 
he  says, '  could  be  more  striking  than  the  difference  that 
prevailed  between  these  natives  and  those  of  the  Disap- 
pointment Islands,  which  we  had  just  left.  The  half- 
civilization  of  the  natives  of  Raraka  was  very  marked, 
and  it  appeared  as  though  we  had  issued  out  of  darkness 
into  light.  They  showed  a  modest  disposition,  and  gave 
us  a  hearty  welcome.  We  were  not  long  at  a  loss  as  to 
what  to  ascribe  it  to ;  the  missionary  had  been  at  work 
here,  and  his  exertions  had  been  based  upon  a  firm  foun- 
dation ;  the  savage  had  been  changed  to  a  reasonable 
creature.' 

"  Then  he  goes  on  to  say :  '  Among  the  inhabitants 
was  a  native  missionary,  who  had  been  instrumental  in 


316  THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

this  work.  If  the  missionaries  had  effected  nothing  else, 
they  would  deserve  the  thanks  of  all  those  who  roam 
over  this  wide  expanse  of  ocean,  and  incur  its  many 
unknown  and  hidden  dangers.  Here  all  shipwrecked 
mariners  would  be  sure  of  kind  treatment,  and  a  share 
of  the  few  comforts  these  people  possess.  No  savage 
mistrust  and  fear  were  seen  here.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren came  about  us,  receiving  our  trifles.  They  showed 
much  joy  and  curiosity  at  the  sight  of  us,  and  were  eager 
to  supply  our  wants.  I  was  particularly  struck  with  the 
modest  and  quiet  behavior  of  the  native  missionary,  who 
was  a  Tahitian.  He  kept  himself  aloof,  while  all  the 
others  were  crowding  round  to  partake  in  the  presents 
we  were  distributing,  and  seemed  much  gratified  and 
astonished  when  I  selected  him  out  as  the  recipient  of  a 
present  similar  to  the  one  I  had  given  the  chief.' 

"  Then,  as  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,  he  says : 
1  All  the  males'  heads  were  shaven,  somewhat  after  the 
fashion  of  a  Dominican  friar.  This  practice  is  said  to 
have  been  adopted  by  the  missionaries  at  Tahiti,  for  the 
sake  of  cleanliness,  and  also  to  distinguish  the  Christian 
from  the  heathen  party.  The  women  have  theirs  cut 
close,  and  some  are  clothed  in  a  pareu,  consisting  of 
three  or  four  yards  of  cotton,  others  in  a  loose  gown. 
They  were  anything  but  good-looking ;  but  the  men  were 
tall  and  well  made.  The  variety  of  apparel  was  droll 
enough.  As  for  the  children,  I  have  seldom  seen  finer ; 
all  were  well  formed,  and  as  cheerful  as  they  could  be. 
They  were  for  the  most  part  naked. 

"'This,'  he  adds,  'was  the  first  island  on  which  we 
observed  the  dawning  of  Christianity  and  civilization. 
The  native  missionaries,  although  they  are  yet  ignorant 
of  most  of  the  duties  enjoined  upon  a  Christian,  still  do 
much  good  in  preparing  the  way.  Many  learn  to  read, 
and  some  even  to  write,  under  their  tuition;  yet  they 


THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  317 

have  many  impediments  thrown  in  the  way  of  their 
efforts  by  the  introduction  of  spirits  by  the  whites.  The 
old  chief,  and  others,  are  much  addicted  to  the  use  of  it, 
and  the  vessels  resorting  here  for  the  pearl-fishery  gen- 
erally employ  native  divers,  and  pay  them  for  the  most 
part  in  rum  or  whisky.' " 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  Captain,  forcibly,  "  rum !  that 's 
the  great  curse  here,  as  it  is  all  over  the  world.  Who 
can  calculate  the  harm  it  has  done,  and  is  doing  every 
day?" 

"  I  fear  it  will  never  be  known  till  the  final  judgment," 
said  the  Professor,  gravely  ;  "  and  then  what  a  reckoning 
for  those  who  have  carried  on  the  nefarious  traffic  here, 
as  well  as  for  the  great  army  whose  business  it  is  to  ruin 
immortal  souls  in  the  more  civilized  parts  of  the  world ! " 

"  Ah,  happy  little  Pitcairn ! "  sighed  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  happy  Pitcairn,"  repeated  the  Professor,  "  and 
may  the  day  soon  come  when  all  the  isles  of  the  sea 
shall  follow  her  wise  example  ! 

"  And  now,"  he  added,  a  moment  later,  "  as  I  have 
some  writing  to  do,  I  think  I  must  excuse  myself  for  a 
time." 

"  But,  Professor,"  objected  Chester,  "  that  old  chief, 
you  have  n't  told  us  all  about  him  yet ;  as  I  remember  it, 
he  was  quite  a  comical  fellow." 

"  Yes,"  smiled  their  friend,  "  and  during  the  Commo- 
dore's stay,  he  stuck  to  him  closer  than  a  brother,  pro- 
fessing the  warmest  attachment.  Having  some  business 
on  board  his  ship,  the  Commodore  invited  the  chief  to  go 
off  with  him ;  he  first  inquired  if  all  the  boats  and  men 
were  to  stay$  and  on  being  informed  that  they  were  not, 
he  said  he  would  go  on  board  if  the  Commodore  would 
also  take  his  wife  and  her  brother ;  to  which  he  consented. 

"  The  chief  had  lost  one  hand,  which  had  been  bitten 
off  by  a  shark,  while  he  was  employed  in  diving  for 


'318  THE    PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

shells.  On  reaching  the  ship,  he  approached  the  Com- 
modore in  a  very  mysterious  manner,  and,  untying  a 
knot  in  the  tail  of  his  shirt,  —  which  was  the  only  gar- 
ment he  wore  besides  his  maro,  —  after  much  difficulty, 
with  one  hand  and  his  teeth,  drew  from  it  a  small,  dirty 
piece  of  linen,  tied  up  like  a  bag ;  this  he  produced  with 
great  form,  and  evidently  expected  to  astonish  his  friend. 
The  contents  proved  to  be  a  few  small  discolored  pearls  ; 
these  he  begged  the  Commodore  to  accept,  but,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  he  declined  to  receive  them. 

"  He  now  ordered  everything  to  be  shown  them.  Their 
surprise  was  very  gre.at.  The  number  of  men  on  board 
in  particular  astonished  them.  Many  presents  were  given 
them ;  but  when  they  were  about  to  depart,  the  old  chief 
complained  of  being  very  sick,  and  his  actions  showed 
that  he  was  greatly  dissatisfied.  The  reason  could  not 
be  imagined.  The  ship  had  so  little  motion,  it  was 
thought  it  could  not  originate  from  sea-sickness,  and  so, 
at  last,  the  Commodore  begged  to  know  what  was  the 
matter.  No  answer  was  given  for  some  time,  but  the 
chief  and  his  friends  consulted  much  among  themselves, 
in  a  low  tone.  The  question  was  repeated,  when  the 
old  chief's  wife  explained,  that  the  Commodore  had  not 
returned  the  present  that  had  been  offered  him,  and  that 
her  husband  was  not  pleased ;  for,  according  to  their 
custom,  the  mere  offering  a  present  entitled  him  to 
receive  one  in  return.  As  a  great  many  gifts  had 
been  made  him  already,  this  amused  the  Commodore 
exceedingly.  On  asking  what  it  was  they  wanted,  they 
promptly  signified  whisky,  which  they  said  was  always 
given  them  when  they  went  on  board  ship ;  and  the  chief 
wanted  some,  for  he  was  very  sick.  Wilkes  accordingly 
ordered  a  bottle  of  water  with  a  gill  of  whisky  in  it 
to  be  given  them,  and  the  moment  they  smelt  it  their 
manner  was  changed ;  they  became  all  animation,  and 
left  the  ship  in  great  good  humor. 


THE   PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  319 

"  The  brother,  Wilkes  says,  was  an  intelligent  native ; 
he  drew  with  a  piece  of  chalk,  on  the  deck,  with  consid- 
erable accuracy,  all  the  islands  he  was  acquainted  with, 
giving  their  relative  situations  and  the  native  names. 
He  located  Taiara,  and  Vincennes  Island,  which  he  called 
Kawahe.  He  informed  them  of  three  small  islands  to 
the  southward  of  Sacken,  which  were  afterwards  found 
by  the  Porpoise ;  his  knowledge  of  the  western  part  of 
this  group  was  quite  surprising." 

"  Raraka  is  quite  a  large  island,  is  it  not,  Professor  ?  " 
asked  Chester. 

"  It  is  nearly  of  the  shape  of  an  equilateral  triangle, 
and  is  fifteen  miles  on  each  side.  Its  southern  and  east- 
ern sides  are  formed  by  a  submerged  reef." 

"  Then  it  must  have  quite  an  extensive  lagoon." 

"  It  has ;  Wilkes  attempted  to  sound  it,  beginning  at 
the  entrance,  but  he  found,  within  a  very  short  distance, 
that  the  depth  increased  to  thirty  fathoms,  the  water 
being  as  blue  as  that  of  the  ocean.  The  depth  being  so 
great  he  was  forced  to  give  up  the  undertaking. 

"What  did  he  find  so  far  as  he  went?"  asked  the 
Captain. 

"  The  sounding,  in  every  case  of  any  depth,  was  coral 
sand." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Chester,  "  The  Commodore  did  n't 
get  away  from  Raraka  without  quite  a  scene  with  the  old 
chief." 

"  You  are  right,"  smiled  the  Professor,  "  the  leave- 
taking  was  decidedly  amusing.  The  chief  with  all  his 
household  and  retinue  began  to  cry  and  whine  over  him, 
so  that  he  was  glad  to  escape  from  the  display  of  so 
much  friendship  and  parental  affection."  . 

"The  Commodore  visited  a  vast  number  of  these 
islands,  did  he  not?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Quite  a  large  number,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  but  I  do  not 


320  THE   PATJMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

know  that  it  would  be  particularly  interesting  to  follow 
him.  It  may  be  well,  however,  to  recall  the  names  of 
some  of  the  larger  or  more  important,  and  among  these 
are,  Anaa  or  Chain  Island,  Manga  Reva  or  Gambier, 
King  George's  group,  Raraka,  Mauhii,  which  also  has 
other  names,  Ahii  or  Peacock,  Aratica  or  Carlshoff, 
Nairsa  or  Dean's,  Krusenstern's  Island,  Metia  or  Aurora, 
Arutua  or  Rurick,  Kawahe  or  Vincennes.  The  Disap- 
pointment Islands,  Hau  or  Bow  Island,  Serle  Island, 
Clermont  de  Tounerre  or  Minerva,  Katiu  or  Sacken, 
King's  Island,  and  Tetuaroa." 

"  Tetuaroa,"  repeated  Chester,  "  that  island  was  for- 
merly quite  a  resort  of  the  Tahitians." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor,  "  they  retired  there  for  the 
purpose  of  recovering  from  the  bodily  diseases  brought 
on  by  their  debaucheries.  It  is  a  low  island,  about  six 
miles  long,  with  a  few  trees  upon  it,  and .  a  reef  off  its 
southern  end,  extending  half  a  mile.  It  is  plainly  to 
be  seen  from  the  high  ridges  of  Tahiti." 

"  Metia  or  Aurora  Island  is  unlike  the  others  of  the 
archipelago,"  remarked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  it  is  totally  different 
in  appearance,  though  evidently  of  the  same  formation. 
It  is  a  coral  island  uplifted,  exposing  its  formation  dis- 
tinctly, and  as  such  is  very  interesting.  On  approaching 
its  eastern  end,  Wilkes  sounded  at  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  from  its  perpendicular  cliff,  and  found  no 
bottom  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  of  line.  The 
cliff  is  worn  into  caverns.  He  landed  close  in  its  neigh- 
borhood, and  on  measuring  its  height,  found  it  to  be  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet." 

"  I  wish  we  could  know  more  of  the  past  of  this  great 
archipelago,"  said  Eugene,  regretfully. 

"  Little  appears  to  be  known  of  the  history  of  Paumo- 
tou  or  its  inhabitants,"  rejoined  the  Professor.  "  Chain 


THE  PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO.  321 

Island,  as  I  have  before  intimated,  has  been  the  principal 
seat  of  power,  the  natives  of  which  had  frequently  waged 
war  on  the  others,  and  succeeded  in  conquering  all  to 
the  west  of  Hau  or  Bow  Island,  with  which  they  have 
frequently  fought.  In  the  reign  of  the  first  Pomare, 
under  Tomatiti,  they  even  attempted  the  conquest  of 
Tahiti,  and  succeeded  in  overcoming  the  small  peninsula 
of  Taiarabu.  The  story  is  thdt  they  were  about  to  con- 
tinue their  attack  on  the  larger  island,  when  Tomatiti 
received  a  written  letter  from  Pomare,  which  caused 
hostilities  to  be  suspended ;  and,  after  further  negotia- 
tion, finally  led  to  Tomatiti's  retiring  from  the  island 
with  a  large  present  of  hogs,  tapa,  and  fruit.  Notwith- 
standing this,  the  Chain  Islanders  remained  nominally 
under  the  government  of  Tahiti,  and  so  continued  till 
the  coming  of  the  French." 

"  There  is  no  more  cannibalism  among  them,  of 
course,"  said  Eugene ;  "  and  from  what  has  been  said, 
I  judge  they  are  becoming  quite  civilized." 

"  Yes ;  their  intercourse  with  the  whites,  together  with 
the  missionary  influence  I  have  mentioned,  has  put  an 
end  to  cannibalism,  advanced  them  in  civilization,  and 
promoted  peace  among  all  the  islanders  of  the  group; 
thus  not  only  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  natives, 
but  protecting  the  unfortunate  mariner  who  may  be 
wrecked  in  this  dangerous  archipelago." 

"  It  does  n't  seem  to  me  that  there  is  much  chance  for 
commercial  enterprise  here,"  remarked  Chester. 

"Evidently  the  group  can  afford  few  advantages  for 
trade,"  returned  the  Professor ;  "  the  only  article  which 
of  late  years  has  been  sought  for  among  the  islands,  is 
the  pearl  oyster-shell,  of  which  considerable  quantities 
have  been  obtained.  The  vessels  engaged  in  the  fishery 
belong  to  foreigners,  who  reside  at  Tahiti.  The  mode  of 
taking  the  oysters  is  by  natives,  who  are  employed  as 
divers,  for  a  very  small  compensation.  It  is  much  to  be 


322  THE  PAUMOTOU   ARCHIPELAGO. 

regretted,  I  cannot  help  repeating,  that  the  traders 
should  have  recourse  to  the  demoralizing  effects  of 
spirits,  in  stimulating  their  exertions." 

It  was  a  day  or  two  later,  while  the  friends  were  still 
deep  in  their  favorite  subject,  that  the  lookout's  cry 
warned  them  that  a  coral  island  was  in  sight. 

All  eagerly  peered  in'  the  direction  indicated,  but 
could  see  nothing.  At  length  Eugene  caught  sight  of 
something  he  declared  to  be  a  ship,  but  quickly  remem- 
bering the  experience  of  others,  he  exclaimed,  "  No,  it  is 
not  a  ship,  but  trees ! "  and  then  with  what  eager  interest 
they  watched  the  isle  as  it  seemed  to  grow  into  a  thing 
of  beauty  before  their  very  eyes  ! 

Captain  Bradford  told  them  it  was  uninhabited,  had 
half  a  dozen  names,  and  lay  some  miles  to  the  west  of 
the  Disappointment  Islands. 

"  Let  us  land  there,"  cried  Eugene,  in  his  impetuous 
way. 

"  It  is  n't  worth  while,"  replied  the  Captain,  quietly. 
"  Besides,  I  fear  it  would  hardly  pay  for  the  trouble." 

"  Where  are  you  going  first,  Captain  ?"  asked  Chester, 
with  some  show  of  interest. 

"  To  the  King  George's  group,"  was  the  answer. 

In  due  time  these  islands  were  reached,  and  here  the 
passengers  went  ashore. 

The  islands  are  well  inhabited,  and  have  entrances  to 
their  lagoons  on  the  west  side.  The  native  names  for 
the  two  islands  are  Tiokea  and  Oura.  The  latter  is 
about  four  and  a  half  miles  from  the  former. 

Nothing  had  been  seen  or  heard  of  the  Rover  here,  and 
after  a  few  hours'  stay,  the  yacht  steamed  to  Manhii  and 
Ahii.  At  the  latter,  rather  unexpectedly,  they  obtained 
information  which  decided  them  to  proceed  to  Tahiti 
without  loss  of  time,  and  so  their  course  was  laid  for  that 
famous  island. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS. 

**  TTTHAT  islands  shall  we  see  now,  before  we  reach 
V  V     Tahiti?"  asked  Eugene,  when  they  were  fairly 
under  way,  and  the  Captain  had  joined  his  guests  on  the 
quarter-deck. 

"  We  shall  round  the  north  side  of  Nairsa,  or  Dean's 
Island,"  was  the  answer  ;  "  and  while  we  shall  doubtless 
see  many  small  islands  on  either  hand,  it  is  hardly  likely 
we  shall  get  a  view  of  any  other  of  importance." 

"  I  had  hoped  we  might  visit  the  Gambers,  and  the 
Glouchester  group,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Both  worth  a  visit,  without  doubt,"  rejoined  the  Cap- 
tain ;  "  but  we  are  hardly  likely  to  see  them  during  this 
cruise." 

"  Captain,  have  you  ever  been  among  the  Gilbert 
Islands  —  the  Kingsmill  or  Ellice's  groups  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Never,"  was  the  reply. 

"  I  don't  remember  much  about  the  Ellice's  group," 
said  Eugene.  "  It  is  not  of  any  very  great  importance, 
is  it?" 

"  It  is  an  extensive  ring  of  small  islets,  situated  on  a 
coral  reef,  surrounding  a  lagoon.  These  are  so  far  sep- 
arated as  to  give  the  idea  of  distinct  islands,  which  has 
probably  led  to  their  having  the  name  of  '  group.'  These 
islets  are  well  covered  with  cocoanut  and  other  trees, 
which  give  them  a  sufficient  elevation  to  be  seen  at  ten 
or  twelve  miles'  distance.  I  am  able  to  tell  you  so 
much,"  said  Chester,  "  but  very  little  more." 

14  (323) 


324  THE  GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

"  You  might  have  added,  however,"  suggested  the  Pro- 
fessor, "that  the  reef  which  links  the  islets  is  a  wash, 
over  which  the  sea  breaks  with  great  violence." 

"  How  large  is  the  island  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  is  thirteen  miles  long  and  between  seven  and  eight 
wide,"  answered  the  Professer. 

"  Can  you  tell  us  anything  about  the  islanders  ?  " 

"  Very  little.  They  speak  a  purely  Polynesian  dialect, 
and  understand  the  Samoan  language.  They  call  the 
island  Fanafute." 

"  How  many  do  they  number  ?  " 

"  Not  three  hundred ;  possibly  less  than  two  hundred 
and  fifty." 

"There  are  other  groups  in  the  immediate  vicinity," 
remarked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  only  three  and  a  half 
miles  to  the  northwest  are  the  De  Pyster  Islands,  and  a 
few  miles  further,  Tracy's  Island,  which  the  natives  call 
Oaitupu." 

"  Yes,"  added  the  Captain,  "  and  a  little  east  of  these 
is  the  Union  group,  of  which  Oatafu,  Nukunono,  and 
Fakaafo  are  the  principal  islands." 

"  And  now  about  the  Gilbert  group,"  said  Chester ; 
"  can't  you  or  the  Professor  tell  us  something  concerning 
that?" 

"  I  can  tell  you  this  much,"  replied  the  Captain ;  "  the 
islanders  of  the  Gilbert  or  Kingsmill  group  are  a  pack  of 
arrant  thieves,  and  a  blood-thirsty  set  of  savages." 

"What,  to  this  day?" 

"Aye,  to  this  day?" 

"  Professor,  were  you  aware  of  the  fact  ?  " 

"  Yes,  unfortunately,  it  is  but  too  true,"  was  the  reply. 
"  In  a  recent  publication,  the  Rev.  Hiram  Bingham,  Jr., 
who  is  a  missionary  to  Micronesia,  and  long  stationed  on 
Apaiang,  says :  'We  had  hardly  been  in  our  new  home 


THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS.  325 

three  months,  when  a  party  of  Gilbert  Islanders  from 
Tarawa,  not  far  off,  made  an  attack  upon  our  people  in  a 
fleet  of  one  hundred  proas.  Our  king  assembled  his 
army  about  our  house  to  await  the  onset,  as  the  other 
party  seemed  to  be  ooming  directly  towards  us.  They 
changed  their  course,  however,  and  the  battle  was  fought 
some  six  miles  away.  The  king  who  had  befriended  us 
when  we  landed,  was  killed,  but  his  people  were  vic- 
torious. 

"  *  Next  morning  I  visited  the  battle-ground ;  and  there 
I  saw  among  the  dead  six  women,  who  had  helped  their 
husbands  in  the  fight.  We  were  very  sorry  that  so  many 
had  been  killed ;  but  we  were  ^Jiankful  that  the  savages 
had  been  driven  off;  for  it  is  quite  possible  that  they 
might  have  slain  us,  and  taken  possession  of  our  little 
house.' 

"Then,  speaking  of  the  Gilbert  Island  warriors,  he 
says :  '  Formerly  this  people  had  no  guns,  but  fought 
with  clubs  and  spears ;  and  even  now  they  like  to  take 
their  old  weapons  into  battle  with  them,  to  use  when 
their  powder  is  gone.  Some  of  the  spears  are  armed 
with  sharks'  teeth,  and  are  almost  twenty  feet  long.  To 
protect  themselves  they  have  a  kind  of  armor,  made  of 
cocoanut  fiber-cord.  A  part  of  this  resembles  a  great- 
coat ;  and  it  comes  up  behind  their  heads,  to  shield  them 
from  behind,  or  when  they  run.  They  also  make  cover- 
ings for  their  legs,  arms,  and  head,  of  the  same  material, 
and  still  another  covering  for  the  head,  of  the  skin  of  the 
porcupine-fish.' 

"  Well,  I  am  astonished,"  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  they  are 
truly  a  blood-thirsty,  war-loving  lot ;  apparently  not  one 
whit  better  than  they  were  years  ago  in  Wilkes's  time." 

"  Not  much,  I  fear,"  assented  the  Professor. 

"  But  wait ! "  exclaimed  Chester.  "  Isn't  Apaiang  one 
of  the  Gilbert  Islands?" 


826 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 


"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor,  slowly ;  "  it  is  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  group." 

"  Then,"  said  Chester,  "  the  fact  that  an  American 
missionary  is  stationed  there,  proves  that  all  the  Gilbert 
Islanders  are  not  thoroughly  bad." 

"  Of  course  there  are  exceptions,"  said  the  Captain ; 
"and  possibly  a  few  of  the  natives  of  Apaiang  come 
under  that  head." 


GILBERT    ISLAND    WARRIORS. 

"  Possibly  ?  Why,  you  know  how  kindly  Mr.  Bingham 
was  received  on  the  island,  and  defended  afterwards,  and 
it  stands  to  reason  he  must  have  done  some  good  there." 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  it,"  said  Eugene ;  "  if  you 
do,  I  beg  you  will  enlighten  us." 

"  Well,"  rejoined  his  brother,  taking  up  a  little  paper- 
bound  book,  "  he  says  :  '  It  was  on  the  13th  of  Novem- 
ber that  I  climbed  almost  to  the  top  of  the  mast,  and 
caught  the  first  sight  of  what  proved  to  be,  for  so  many 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS.  327 

years,  our  island-home.  It  was  Apaiang,  a  low  coral 
reef,  some  fifty  miles  in  circumference,  enclosing  one  of 
those  great  lagoons  which  I  have  already  described.  The 
highest  parts  of  the  reef  were  only  a  few  feet  above  the 
ocean;  but  on  these  were  many  cocoanut  and'pandanus 
trees.  The  lowest  parts  were  covered  with  water  at  high 
tide.  The  lagoon  was  about  eighteen  miles  long,  six 
wide,  and  one  hundred  feet  deep.  The  land  surrounding 
it  did  not  average  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
width ;  but  on  this  narrow  strip,  such  as  it  was,  were 
many  villages. 

" '  We  landed  first  on  an  islet,  belonging  to  the  western 
side,  where  the  reef  is  lowest.  There  we  found  a  solitary 
old  man,  walking  among  the  trees.  He  was  the  first 
Gilbert  Islander  to  receive  the  missionaries,  who  had 
come  to  live  among  his  people !  On  the  17th  of  Novem- 
ber the  Morning  Star  entered  the  beautiful  lagoon,  and 
came  to  anchor  near  Koinawa,  the  king's  village,  on  the 
eastern  side. 

" '  Next  morning  the  king,  at  our  request,  came  on 
board,  and,  learning  something  of  our  wishes  from  the 
Gilbert  Islanders  with  us,  he  seemed  pleased ;  and,  put- 
ting his  hand  on  me,  and  on  my  lumber,  he  pointed  to 
the  shore.  I  took  the  hint,  and  the  next  day  began  to 
build.  The  house  was  twenty-four  feet  by  sixteen,  and 
though  we  took  time  to  shingle  it,  much  to  the  wonder 
of  the  natives,  in  less  than  two  weeks  it  had  been  made 
so  comfortable  as  to  be  ready  for  housekeeping.  We 
afterwards  painted  it  white,  except  the  blinds,  which 
were  green,  and  put  on  piazzas.  We  called  it  '  Happy 
Home.' " 

"  Here  is  a  picture 'of  the  station,"  said  Chester,  show- 
ing the  illustration,  "  this  is  '  Happy  Home '  on  the  right. 
On  the  left  is  the  house  of  the  missionary's  Hawaiian 
companion,  Kanoa.  It  is  something  like  the  other,  but 


328 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 


made  chiefly  of  cocoanut  wood,  with  pandanus  thatch  for 
roofing.  These  buildings  at  the  right  of  '  Happy  Home ' 
are  the  kitchens.  Back  of  Kanoa's  house  is  the  school- 


house,  where  the  children  were  taught  by  Mrs.  Bingham 
and  her  assistant,  Kaholo." 


THE   GILBERT  ISLANDS.  329 

"  Do  the  houses  front  toward  the  sea  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  No,"  replied  his  brother,  "  the  water  you  see  in  the 
foreground  is  a  part  of  the  lagoon.  You  can  just  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  sea  through  the  opening  past  the  school- 
house." 

"  I  see ;  go  on." 

"Well,  Mr.  Bingham  and  his  companions  began  at 
once  to  learn  the  language,  but  found  it  slow  work. 
However,  they  persevered,  and  after  a  time  were  able  to 
make  themselves  understood,  and  then  they  began  to 
preach.  They  would  go  from  one  village  to  another 
around  the  lagoon  in  their  boat,  in  which  they  also  took 
their  provisions. 

"'A  crowd  of  naked  men,  boys,  and  girls,'  the  mis- 
sionary says, '  meet  us  as  we  land  ;  and  we  go  directly  to 
the  maneaba  of  the  village.  The  people  throng  about  us ; 
and  we  try  to  teach  them.  As  we  close  our  eyes  for 
prayer,  one  and  another  shout  to  those  near  them,  "Matu, 
main!"  ("  Go  to  sleep,  go  to  sleep ! ")  meaning,  "  Shut 
your  eyes."  After  a  general  commotion,  in  which  some 
bow  their  faces  to  the  ground,  the  prayer  is  offered.  At 
its  close,  as  the  missionary  opens  his  eyes,  a  number 
begin  to  shout  "  Uii,  uti !  "  (  "  Wake  up,  wake  up ! "  )  and, 
with  a  burst  of  laughter,  these  rude  worshipers  sit  up 
again. 

" '  I  begin  to  preach,'  he  continues, '  but  the  leading 
man  of  the  village  may  break  in  upon  me,  by  asking  if  I 
will  not  take  a  pipe.  "  I  never  smoke,"  is  the  answer. 
Next,  he  may  offer  me  some  molasses  and  water  to  drink, 
or  the  milk  of  a  green  cocoanut.  Sometimes  we  tell 
them  that  we  have  not  come  to  eat  and  drink,  but  to 
teach  them.  It  is  often  better,  however,  to  stop  preach- 
ing, and  drink  from  the  cocoanut,  and  then  go  on  again. 
After  the  service  we  often  look  up  the  blind  and  sick  of 
the  village,  and  teach  them  in  their  own  houses. 


330  THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

"'We  go  to  the  next  village.  Perhaps  we  find  the 
maneaba  pre-occupied.  A  man  has  died,  and  his  body  has 
been  brought  to  the  big  house,  and  is  laid  out  in  state. 
Women  sit  by  it,  day  after  day,  even  for  weeks.' " 

"  Good  gracious ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  and  in  such  a 
hot  climate,  too !  But,  poor  creatures,  I  suppose  they 
feel  bound  to  do  it." 

"  Yes,"  returned  his  brother,  "  and  Bingham  says : 
4  Most  of  the  time  the  body  is  covered  with  a  mat ;  and 
frequently  beneath  the  same  mat  lies  the  dead  man's 
wife,  grieving  over  her  loss.  When  at  length  the  corpse 
is  about  to  be  buried,  the  wife  often  keeps  his  skull,  and 
makes  it  her  constant  companion.' " 

"  That 's  an  idea !  "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  But  where 
do  they  bury  the  body  at  last  ? " 

" '  A  man  is  generally  buried  under  his  own  house,' 
the  missionary  says,  '  and  only  a  few  inches  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground  ;  for  the  people  think  that  if  there 
should  be  room  for  another  corpse  above  him,  there 
would  soon  be  another  to  fill  the  place.  Sometimes, 
however,  bodies  are  rolled  up  in  mats,  and  laid  away  in 
a  loft  of  the  house. 

" '  When  we  find  the  maneaba  thus  occupied,'  he  goes 
on  to  say,  '  the  friends  of  the  deceased  are  usually 
willing  to  listen  to  me  while  I  urge  them  to  prepare 
for  death.  But  sometimes  we  find  the  people  assembled 
for  a  feast.  If  they  have  only  cocoanut  milk  to  drink, 
or  cocoanut  molasses  and  water,  they  are  generally  wil- 
ling to  hear  me  speak  of  the  land  where  men  never 
hunger;  and  yet  they  may  be  very  desirous  to  know 
what  kind  of  food  they  may  expect  there. 

"  *  If  the  people  are  drinking  manning  (fermented 
toddy),  some  of  them  may  be  very  noisy,  and  interrupt 
us  while  we  preach  to  them  of  temperance.  When  they 
are  intoxicated,  they  often  quarrel,  and  kill  one  another ; 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS.  331 

sometimes  they  stab  themselves.  When  •'the  toddy  is 
first  obtained  from  the  bud  of  the  cocoanut,  which  is 
cut  twice  a  day,  it  is  pleasant  and  wholesome.  But  if  it 
is  allowed  to  stand  three  or  four  days,  it  ferments  and 
becomes  hurtful.  A  great  deal  of  it,  nevertheless,  is 
drunk  in  the  Gilbert  Islands ;  and  they  need  missionaries 
to  teach  them  better. 

" '  When  night  overtakes  us,  we  spread  our  mats  on 
the  ground,  hang  up  our  mosquito  netting  in  some  native 
house,  and'  lie  down  to  sleep.  In  the  morning,  perhaps, 
while  we  are  eating  the  food  which  we  have  brought,  the 
people  will  crowd  around  us,  saying,  "Kamai  teutana  " 
("Give  me  a  little  piece").  If  we  refuse  them,  they 
may  call  us  "  bataoti  "  (stingy).  But  we  could  not  give 
all  of  them  even  a  little  piece ;  if  we  should,  our  supply 
would  soon  be  gone. 

" '  After  several  days  have  been  spent  in  this  way,  the 
tour  is  completed,  and  we  spread  our  sail  for  the  white 
cottage  among  the  cocoanut  trees.  As  we  cross  the  la- 
goon, we  enjoy  an  hour  of  rest,  which  is  very  refreshing.' 

"  At  length  they  built  a  small  church,  and  had  regular 
services.  Here  is  a  picture  of  the  building  as  it  appeared 
on  Sunday  mornings.  They  could  not  boast  of  a  bell,  so 
you  see  Kanoa  is  blowing  a  conch-shell  to  call  the  people 
to  meeting. 

"  This,  I  suppose,"  said  Eugene,  inquiringly,  "  is  the 
missionary  and  his  wife  ? "  at  the  same  time  indicating 
two  figures  in  European  dress. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  and  Kanoa's  wife  and  boy  are 
just  behind  them." 

"  And  who  is  this  gentleman,  dressed  out  so  elaborately 
in  a  shirt,  hat,  and  umbrella  ?  " 

"  That,  my  dear  brother,"  laughed  Chester,  "  is  the  all- 
powerful  king." 

"  Bless  his  august  majesty !     And  who  is  this  sweet 
14* 


332 


THE    GILBERT    ISLANDS. 


girl,  so  airily  attired  in  a  feather  apron  and  a  human 
skull  ? " 

"  Girl !     That 's  a  native  widow,  on  her  way  to  visit 


her  friends  in  a  neighboring  village.  The  skull  was  her 
husband's,  and,  therefore,  as  you  heard  a  few  moments 
ago,  she  always  has  it  with  her." 


THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS.  333 

"  Gracious,  what  queer  taste ! "  murmured  Eugene. 

"  What  are  these  people  doing  on  the  stick  of  timber 
under  the  tree  ?  "  asked  the  Captain. 

"  They  are  pressing  scraped  cocoanuts  in  an  oil-press, 
to  get  the  oil  to  barter  with." 

"  And  now,"  continued  Chester,  "  I  want  you  to  notice 
—  particularly,  Eugene  —  the  three  men  who  are  climb- 
ing cocoanut  trees  in  as  many  different  ways.  I'll  give 
the  explanation  about  as  I  get  it  from  the  missionary : 
The  one  at  the  right  has  notches  cut  in  his  tree,  large 
enough  to  hold  the  second  joint  of  the  great  toe.  He 
is  going  after  his  toddy,  which  the  islanders  use  instead 
of  milk,  as,  of  course,  they  have  no  cows  or  goats. 
The  man  in  the  middle  walks  up  the  tree  in  a  wonderful 
way.  If  one  of  his  hands  should  slip,  he  would  fall,  and 
most  likely  break  his  neck.  The  man  at  the  left  has  his 
feet  tied  together,  a  few  inches  apart' ;  and  while  he  holds 
himself  away  from  the  tree  by  pushing  off  with  one  arm, 
and  clasping  the  other  round  the  trunk,  he  draws  up  his 
feet,  which  easily  cling  to  the  tree  by  the  help  of  the 
cord  which  binds  them  together ;  and  then  he  straightens 
himself  up  again.  This,  you  remember,  is  the  way  they 
climb  the  trees  in  the  Marquesas." 

"  Which  is  the  most  difficult  way  of  climbing  ?  "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  The  second,"  was  the  reply. 

"  This  queer  tree  on  the  right  is  a  pandanus,  of  course." 

"  Yes ;  you  see  its  roots  grow  out  of  the  trunk,  and  run 
off  into  the  ground." 

"  The  fruit  is  perfectly  immense."     ' 

"  You  are  right ;  they  sometimes  weigh  forty  or  fifty 
pounds.  When  they  are  ripe,  you  can  pull  them  to 
pieces,  each  piece  being  a  separate  conical  seed  some 
three  inches  long,  the  small  end  of  which  is  fibrous,  and 
contains  a  sweet  juice.  This  end  is  chewed,  and  the 
juice  is  sucked  out." 


334  THE   GILBERT  ISLANDS. 

"What  are  these  great  leaves,  back  of  the  chapel, 
apparently  coming  up  out  of  a  pit?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  They  are  papai  leaves ;  you  might  take  them  for 
giant  calla-leaves.  The  papai  is  a  root  which  grows  in 
the  mud,  and  is  sometimes  as  large  as  a  half-barrel. 
The  natives  eat  it  as  a  great  luxury." 

"These  houses  on  the  left  are  the  residences  of  the 
natives,  I  suppose,  and  built  after  the  usual  style  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  as  you  see,  they  have  no  sides,  and  the 
eaves  are  very  low.  One  must  stoop  to  enter  them,  but 
once  inside  he  can  see  what  the  people  are  doing  in  the 
next  house,  and  so  on,  through  the  village." 

"  What  is  this  little  hut  in  the  distance  ?  " 

"A  kitchen  where  poor  old  women  are  compelled  to 
do  the  cooking,  half-smothered  by  the  smoke." 

"  Well,  what  more  have  you  to  tell  us  about  your 
missionary  ?  " 

"  After  he  had  been  on  the  island  about  a  year,  a  first- 
class  surf-boat  was  sent  him,  which  he  called  the  Star  of 
Peace.  He  now  resolved  to  visit  the  neighboring  islands, 
especially  Marakei  and  Maiana.  He  had  been  to  Tarawa, 
the  largest  island  in  the  group,  in  his  small  boat,  the 
Alfred,  having  been  towed  by  one  of  the  great  war-proas, 
which  was  bearing  presents  from  the  king  of  Apaiang  to 
a  high  chief,  whose  two  sons  had  been  recently  betrothed 
to  two  of  the  king's  daughters.  The  other  islands,  how- 
ever, he  could  not  reach.  One  of  them  he  could  sec  from 
the  top  of  the  cocoanut  trees  near  his  house ;  but  the 
ocean  channel  was  more  than  twenty  miles  wide,  and 
the  current  so  swift  as  to  make  it  very  unsafe  to  venture 
across  in  the  Alfred.  The  new  surf-boat,  then,  was 
exactly  what  he  wanted. 

"  He  went  first  to  Tarawa,  where  he  left  Mrs.  Bing- 
ham,  and  then  to  Maiana.  On  his  return  from  the  latter, 
he  had  'a  much  harder  time  than  he  expected.  The  wind 


THE  GILBERT   ISLANDS.  335 

was  favorable  when  he  started,  but  it  changed"  afterwards, 
and  they  were  at  the  mercy  of  a  current  which  was  very 
strong.  At  sundown,  Tarawa  bore  due  east,  about  twelve 
miles.  The  wind  lulled,  but  the  sea  was  rough,  and  they 
were  fast  drifting  to  the  westward.  That  was  a  fearful 
hour !  No  land  to  the  leeward  for  more  than  two  hun- 
dred miles !  At  length,  however,  by  dint  of  hard  rowing, 
they  got  into  stiller  water,  under  the  lee  of  Tarawa,  and 
a  little  after  midnight,  they  made  out  to  reach  the  island. 
They  were  thankful  enough,  as  you  may  well  believe,  for 
their  escape  from  so  great  a  danger. 

"  They  had  sometimes  seen  Marakei  from  the  top  of  a 
cocoanut  tree,  and  they  longed  to  visit  the  island.  Even 
as  good  a  boat  as  the  Star  of  Peace  can  seldom  cross 
thither;  but  one  day  everything  seemed  favorable,  and 
the  missionary  and  his  assistant  were  soon  under  way. 
All  went  well  for  a  time ;  but  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  a  fearful  squall  approached.  As  they  were  out 
on  a  wide  sea,  anxious  to  reach,  before  dark,  a  strange 
island,  with  no  ship  channel  to  its  lagoon,  Captain  Bing- 
ham  kept  on  sail  to  the  last  moment,  bidding  one  of  his 
men  '  stand  by  the  halyards,'  and  let  them  go  at  an 
instant's  warning. 

"At  length  he  could  venture  no  longer.  They  lowered 
and  furled  their  sails,  and  had  hardly  seated  themselves, 
when  the  tempest  burst  upon  them  with  tremendous 
fury.  As  soon  as  it  abated,  they  reefed  their  mainsail, 
and,  hoisting  it  a  little,  pressed  on.  The  sea  was  begin- 
ning to  run  wildly,  and  the  large  billows  raised  their 
white  crests  around  them.  The  little  craft  had  experi- 
enced no  such  sea  as  that.  Suddenly  a  towering  wave 
burst  upon  them,  drenching  them  from  stem  to  stern. 
Blinded  by  the  spray,  the  missionary  captain  was  bewil- 
dered—  almost  stunned.  Still  the  little  craft  kept 
afloat,  but  the  frightened  crew  turned  to  him  as  if  to 
read  their  fate  in  his  face. 


336  THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

" '  Just  at  dark,'  he  says,  '  it  being  difficult  to  distin- 
guish people  on  the  shore,  we  found  ourselves  off  a 
narrow  break  in  the  cocoanut  and  pandanus  trees.  This 
was  the  so-called  boat  channel,  a  fearful  place,  with  bil- 
lows dashing  their  foam  against  the  rocks.  I  trembled 
to  enter,  and  would  not  venture  myself  at  the  helm,  lest 
I  should  not  understand  the  rapid  commands  of  the  pilot, 
but  put  my  old  teacher  at  that  post,  and  took  his  oar. 
For  a  moment  we  paused,  as  the  billows  began  to  lift 
their  crests  before  breaking.  Two  large  ones  passed, 
and  we  sprang  to  our  oars.  In  the  darkness,  our  pilot 
had  "  headed  in  "  a  little  too  soon,  and  in  order  to  enter 
a  gap  between  the  rocks,  not  forty  feet  wide,  was  obliged 
to  slant  our  course  a  little,  —  a  most  perilous  feat !  For 
an  instant  death  seemed  staring  me  in  the  face.  Swim- 
mer that  I  was,  should  we  swamp,  the  chances  for  my 
escape  were  exceedingly  small,  as  I  was  not  accustomed 
to  surf-swimming.  But  the  blessed  Master  was  with  us. 
A  small  wave  took  us  upon  its  crest,  and  we  were  hurried 
through  this  narrow  vortex  in  a  moment's  time. 

"'But  what  a  sight  greeted  our  eyes  the  next  morning! 
We  found  ourselves  upon  one  of  the  loveliest  of  all  the 
coral  islands.  About  six  miles  in  length,  from  one  to 
three  in  width,  and  enclosing  a  placid  lagoon  on  all  sides 
by  wooded  land,  with  fairy-like  islets  here  and  there,  it 
lay  spread  out  before  us.  The  Gospel  light  for  the  first 
time  now  beamed  upon  it.  We  preached  in  all  its  vil- 
lages ;  and  more  than  a  thousand  souls  heard  of  the  way 
of  life. 

"'In  passing  out  of  this  lagoon,  there  was  quite  as 
much  peril  as  there  had  been  in  passing  in.  But  I  will 
not  describe  the  scene.  Possibly  you  may  think  that  my 
zeal  for  ocean  touring  in  an  open  boat  was  by  this  time 
slightly  cooled,  or,  at  least,  that  it  ought  to  have  been. 
But  it  is  hard  to  sec  a  populous  island  without  the  Gos- 
pel, and  not  do  anything  for  it.' 


THE   GILBERT  ISLANDS.  337 

"Iii  due  t!mo  ho  received  a  much  larger  l>oat —  the 
Evening  Star ;  and  in  this  he  and  his  assistants  visited 
other  islands,  preaching  in  all  their  maneabas,  to  large 
and  curious  audiences,  for  all  wished  to  see  and  hear  the 
I-matang  (foreigners). 

"  Not  long'  after  this  he  set  up  a  printing-press  at 
Apaiang;  and  after  some  little  trouble  and  delay,  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  was  printed  in  the  Gilbert  Island 
language,  as  were  several  other  books,  and  a  hymn-book 
was  printed  in  the  same  language  at  Honolulu. 

"  He  received  a  bright  Gilbert  Island  boy  into  his 
family,  to  educate ;  and  tells  of  taking  him  to  Ebon, 
Kusaie,  and  Ponape. 

" '  He  thought  the  Marshall  Islanders  hideous-looking 
people,'  he  says,  '  with  their  great  ear-rings  and  knotted 
hair.  Their  language  he  called  "  jabber."  His  wonder 
at  the  mountains  of  Kusaie  (for  he  had  never  seen  so 
much  as  a  hill  before)  was  very  great.  I  rambled  with 
him  through  the  woods  and  by  the  running  streams,  of 
which  there  are  none  in  the  Gilbert  Islands ;  and  together 
we  climbed,  with  great  difficulty,  to  the  top  of  the  highest 
mountain.  The  story  of  this  ascent  he  never  wearied  in 
telling  his  people,  after  his  return. 

" '  One  night  we  heard  loud  crying ;  and  we  supposed  it 
to  come  from  some  heathen  child.  The  next  morning 
Joseph,  or,  as  it  is  written  in  his  language,  I6teba,  told 
us  that  he  had  dreamed  of  seeing  a  savage  cut  off  my 
head ;  and,  as  he  awoke,  the  dream  seemed  so  real,  that 
he  arose,  left  his  little  house,  and  sat  under  the  cocoanut 
trees  at  the  dead  of  night,  to  give  vent  to  his  sorrow. 

" '  He  often  went  with  me  on  my  tours  to  assist  in 
telling  the  people  about  Jesus ;  and  they  always  liked  to 
hear  him.  His  help,  too,  in  translating  portions  of  the 
New  Testament,  was  very  great.  He  once  visited  Buta- 
ritari  and  Makin,  islands  where  I  had  never  preached, 


338  THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

and,  gathering  many  of  the  people  together,  told  them 
the  great  news  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ.  The 
journal  which  he  kept  was  very  interesting.  After  a 
time  a  white  man  gave  him  some  liquor,  and  he  became 
intoxicated.  From  that  day  he  left  us ;  perhaps  he  is 
still  wandering.' " 

"  There  it  is  again,"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  impatient- 
ly :  "  that  omnipresent  curse,  rum !  See  what  it  has  done 
for  this  poor  fellow." 

"  Yes,"  said  Eugene  ;  "  and  what  a  fiend  the  man  must 
have  been  who  gave  it  to  him." 

"  There  are  plenty  of  just  such  men,"  rejoined  the 
Captain ;  "  they  are  to  be  found  everywhere." 

"  Unfortunately  that  is  too  true,"  commented  the  Pro- 
fessor. Then  turning  to  Chester :  "  Well,  have  you  any- 
thing more  to  tell  us  ? " 

"  Only  this,"  was  the  reply :  "  After  long  years  of 
weary  labor,  during  which  he  saw  the  good  work  growing 
under  his  hand,  Mr.  Bingham,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  Gilbert  Islands.  It  was  ar- 
ranged, however,  that  he  should  go  down  yearly  to  the 
group,  to  give  counsel  and  assistance,  but  spend  the  rest 
of  the  year  at  Honolulu,  translating  the  Bible  and  pre- 
paring other  books  for  the  natives,  and  I  think  he  is 
engaged  in  that  work  now." 

"  Do  you  see  this  little  pamphlet  ?"  asked  the  Professor, 
holding  up  a  small  paper-covered  book  for  their  inspec- 
tion. "  Well,  Chester  has  told  you  something  of  Mr. 
Bingham's  indefatigable  and  self-sacrificing  labors  among 
(he  Gilbert  Islanders,  and  here  the  Rev.  Robert  W. 
Logan  gives  us  a  sequel  to  the  story.  You  will  notice 
the  pamphlet  is  of  recent  date,  so  it  gives  us  the  present 
status  of  the  islands  and  people. 

"  *  The  Gilbert  Islands,'  says  Mr.  Logan,  *  lie  on  both 
sides  of  the  equator  and  a  little  beyond  the  180th  merid- 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS.  339 

ian.  They  are  sixteen  in  number,  with  a  thin  soil,  scan- 
ty rainfall,  and  limited  vegetation.  The  cocoanut-palm 
thrives  here,  as  well  as  the  pandanus  or  screw-pine  ;  but 
almost  nothing  else  which  can  furnish  food  for  human 
beings.  Advocates  of  a  meager  diet,  as  conducive  to 
health,  might  do  well  to  emigrate  to  the  Gilbert  Islands. 
If  they  survive  the  experiment,  their  testimony  will  be 
interesting ;  possibly,  however,  a  little  "  thin."  The  same 
language  is  spoken  on  all  of  these  islands.  The  people 
are  naturally  hardy,  savage,  and  quarrelsome.  They  wear 
very  little  clothing,  and  men  were  frequently  seen  entire- 
ly naked.  The  bodies  of  the  men  are  often  covered  with 
scars,  and  no  dandy  is  more  proud  of  his  rings  and  jewels 
than  are  these  men  of  the  unsightly  scars  which  indicate 
their  prowess.  While  not  cannibals  in  the  same  sense  as 
were  the  Fiji  Islanders,  yet  it  said  that  on  some  of  the 
islands  there  is  probably  not  an  adult  male  who  has  not 
tasted  human  flesh.' " 

"  Good  heavens ! "  murmured  Chester,  with  a  sigh. 

"  And  mind  you,  my  dear  friend,"  said  the  Captain, 
impressively,  "  this  is  n't  written  of  twenty  years  ago, 
but  of  to-day." 

"  Exactly,"  acquiesced  the  Professor,  and  then  con- 
tinued : 

" '  The  only  water  fit  to  drink  on  all  coral  islands  is 
rain-water.  Missionaries  living  on  the  Gilbert  Islands 
are  obliged  to  depend  almost  entirely  upon  foreign  food, 
which  is  never  perfectly  fresh,  and  always  preserved  with 
difficulty.  Rev.  Hiram  Bingham,  Jr.,  with  his  devoted 
wife,  began  work  here  in  1857,  and  labored  on  alone, 
with  their  Hawaiian  helpers,  until  1874.  Frequently 
they  were  obliged,  in  self-preservation,  to  flee  for  a  season 
to  a  more  salubrious  clime ;  until,  at  last,  utterly  broken 
in  health,  they  were  compelled  to  take  up  their  residence 
at  Honolulu,  where  they  still  continue  their  labors  of 


340  THE   GILBERT  ISLANDS. 

love  among  Gilbert  Islanders  who  have  been  brought  to 
Hawaii  as  laborers.  The  days  of  martyrs  and  heroes  of 
faith  are  not  yet  past.'  " 

"  So  he  is  still  at  Honolulu  ?  "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  So  it  would  seem,"  answered  the  Professor,  and  then 
continued : 

" '  Rev.  H.  J.  Taylor,  son  of  "  Father  Taylor  "  of  the 
Madura  Mission,  —  like  Mr.  Bingham,  born  in  the  mis- 
sion-field,—  went  with  his  young  wife  to  the  Gilbert 
Islands,  in  1874,  to  reenforce  Mr.  Bingham ;  but  before 
she  had  been  on  Apaiang  six  weeks,  Mrs.  Taylor  died  $f 
fever,  and  was  buried  under  the  cocoanut-palms.  A  few 
months  later  Mr.  Bingham  was  obliged  to  flee  for  his  life  to 
Samoa,  and  then  to  Auckland.  Mr.  Taylor  was  left  alone 
with  his  infant  son.  He  acquired  the  language,  won  the 
confidence  of  the  natives,  and  labored  most  effectively 
for  two  years,  when  he,  too,  was  compelled  to  flee  for  his 
life.  After  some  years  spent  in  America,  —  having  re- 
covered his  health,  and  married  again, — he  returned  to 
the  field  with  Rev.  A.  C.  Walkup  and,  wife,  only  to  lay 
his  second  wife  beside  her  sister.  And  now,  with  his 
three  motherless  children,  he  is  compelled  to  retire  from 
the  work.  Mrs.  Walkup's  life  was  only  saved  by  her 
going  to  Kusaic,  and  ultimately  to  her  old  home  in  Kan- 
sas. Hence  the  board  has  been  constrained  reluctantly 
to  withdraw  its  missionaries  from  the  Gilbert  Islands, 
taking  them  seven  hundred  miles  to  Kusaie,  a  high,  fertile 
island,  the  easternmost  of  the  Caroline  group.  Here, 
also,  the  Gilbert  Island  youth  will  be  brought,  and,  amid 
beautiful  surroundings  and  in  a  much  more  salubrious  cli- 
mate, will  be  trained  to  carry  on  the  work  among  their 
people,  in  connection  with  Hawaiian  missionaries.' " 

"  And  so  now  there  is  not  a  white  missionary  in  all  the 
Gilbert  Islands ! "  exclaimed  Chester,  "  and  the  benighted 
savages  are  left  to. the  sole  efforts  of  Hawaiian  mission- 
aries and  native  teachers." 


THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS.  341 

"  Quite  right,  Chester ;  but  here  is  something  more 
than  a  grain  of  comfort  for  you,"  and  the  Professor  read : 

" '  The  lives  of  the  missionaries  on  the  Gilbert  Islands 
have  often  been  in  danger ;  they  have  sown  in  tears  and 
with  long  waiting;  but  their  labors  and  sacrifices  have 
not  been  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  The  Morning  Star,  on  her 
last  trip,  found  three  hundred  candidates  for  baptism  on 
one  island,  two  hundred  on  another,  while  on  a  third,  an 
island  where  a  few  years  ago  even  the  Morning  Star's 
boat  dare  not  land,  the  people  were  found  anxious  to  be 
taught,' " 

"  Ah,  that 's  something  like  it !  "  exclaimed  Chester ; 
"  and  you  see,  spite  of  all  that  has  been  said,  the  good 
work  is  going  on  there.  The  missionaries  have  not  suf- 
fered and  died  in  vain;  and  I  confidently  predict  that 
the  time  will  come  —  sooner,  perhaps,  than  we  think  — 
when  this  people  shall  issue  out  of  darkness  into  God's 
own  marvelous  light." 

"  Heaven  grant  it  may  be  so,"  said  the  Professor, 
reverently. 

"  I  say  amen  to  that,"  cried  the  Captain,  heartily. 
Then,  after  a  moment's  silence :  "  When  I  said  what  I 
did  in  the  first  place  about  the  Gilbert  Islands,  Chester, 
I  had  not  the  northern  cluster  so  much  in  mind  as  the 
southern.  This  large  group  or  archipelago,  you  must 
understand,  has  many  names.  It  is  called  the  Gilbert 
group,  Scarborough's  Archipelago,  and  the  Kingsmill 
group ;  and  sometimes  the  Zarawa  Islands.  Then,  too, 
some  authorities  call  the  whole  group  Scarborough's 
Archipelago,  and  confine  the  name  Gilbert  to  the  north- 
ern cluster  and  Kingsmill  to  the  southern,  while  others 
make  two  distinct  groups  of  the  islands.  Now,  while 
the  people  of  the  northern  cluster  are  all  that  has  been 
claimed  for  them,  they  are  not  half  as  bad  as  the  natives 
of  the  southern  or  Kingsmill  Islands,  whom,  as  I  said 


342  THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

before,  I  particularly  had  in  mind,  and  of  whom  I  never 
yet  knew  anyone  to  say  a  good  word,  unless,  perhaps,  it 
was  of  the  inhabitants  of  one  small  island." 

"•And  what  island  was  that,  Captain  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Makin  or  Pitt  Island,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Tell  us  something  about  this  southern  cluster,  if  you 
please,"  said  Chester. 

"  It  consists  of  some  sixteen  coral  islands,"  began  the 
Captain,  "  all  lying  very  low,  so  that  they  might  easily 
escape  the  attention  of  voyagers.  As  is  always  the 
case  with  coral  islands,  the  navigation  among  them  is 
extremely  dangerous.  They  are  mostly  long  in  propor- 
tion to  their  width,  the  largest  of  the  group,  called  Tapu- 
teonea  by  the  natives,  but  better  known  as  Drumiriond 
Island,  being  much  more  than  thirty  miles  long,  and 
only  from  a  half  to  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide.  The 
natives  of  these  islands,  as  I  have  already  said,  have  a 
character  for  ferocity  such  as  is  not  often  found  among 
Polynesians.  They  are  much  darker  than  the  inhabitants 
of  the  groups  to  the  south  of  them,  and  of  more  moderate 
stature.  They  are  well  made  and  slender,  and  have  black 
and  glossy  hair.  While  their  mouths  are  large,  there  is 
nothing  of  the  negro  character  about  them,  and  the  teeth 
are  always  white.  They  wear  beards  and  mustaches,  the 
hair  of  which  is  fine. 

"I  spoke  of  the  Makin  Islanders.  It  is  a  little  remark- 
able that  these  people  are  not  only  less  warlike  than  their 
neighbors,  but  arc  also  of  a  lighter  complexion,  approach- 
ing in  this  respect  the  inhabitants  of  Samoa." 

"  How  do  you  account  for  it,  Captain  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  I  can  only  account  for  it  in  one  way,"  was  the  reply. 
"  Sometime  in  the  past,  a  party  of  Samoans  or  Tongans 
must  have  been  blown  out  of  their  course  by  a  gale, 
landed  on  the  -island,  and  gradually  absorbed  in  the 
community ;  and  what  is  to  be  seen  now  is  the  result." 


THE  GILBERT  ISLANDS.  345 

"Are  the  dwellings  in  this  cluster  like  those  in  the 
northern?"  asked  Chester. 

"  Their  houses,"  replied  the  Captain,  "  vary  much  in 
size  and  form  according  to  their  uses,  and  are  rather  dis- 
tinguished for  strength  and  massiveness  than  for  beauty. 
The  ordinary  dwelling  consists  of  two  stories,  the  upper 
part  being  used  as  a  sleeping-place,  and  the  lower  entirely 
open.  Some  of  the  buildings  wherein  the  chiefs  sit  and 
talk  together  and  receive  visitors  are  poor  affairs,  being 
nothing  more  than  roofs  supported  by  posts.  As  in  the 
northern  cluster,  there  is  in  every  village  a  maneaba,  in 
which  the  people  assemble  on  stated  occasions.  It  is  of 
enormous  size,  having  a  lofty  roof  thatched  with  pan- 
danus  leaves  and  lined  with  matting." 

"  As  they  do  not  seem  to  display  any  great  degree  of 
taste  in  architecture,  to  what  do  they  bend  their  energies 
and  devote  their  artistic  powers  ?  " 

"  War  and  weapons  of  war.  Their  swords  and  spears 
are  curious  and  blood-thirsty  looking  objects,  being  liber- 
ally armed  with  sharks'  teeth,  which  are  carefully  fas- 
tened to  the  edges  of  the  former  and  sides  of  the  latter." 

"  How  about  dress  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  varies  according  to  the  particular  island,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Principally  they  use  mats  made  of  the  pan- 
danus  leaf  cut  into  narrow  strips,  and  dyed  brown  and 
yellow.  These  strips  are  plaited  together  in  an  ingenious 
fashion  so  as  to  form  neat  patterns.  A  cape,  with  a  slit 
in  the  middle,  through  which  the  head  passes,  is  worn 
over  the  neck,  and  a  curious  high  cap  of  pandanus-leaf 
covers  the  head.  But  in  battle  the  chiefs  wear  a  cap 
made  of  the  porcupine  fish,  like  those  of  the  other  group, 
and  upon  this  is  fixed  a  bunch  of  feathers.  The  dress  of 
the  women  merely  consists  of  a  skirt  of  stripped  leaves, 
reaching  from  the  waist  nearly  to  the  knees,  and  fast- 
ened by  a  cord,  often  six  hundred  feet  in  length,  made 


346  THE   GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

of  human  hair.  On  the  cord  are  strung  alternately 
beads  made  of  shells  and  cocoanut." 

"  Is  it  true  that  the  women  fight,  as  well  as  the  men  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  both  sexes  go  into  battle,  and 
both  are  killed  indiscriminately ;  and  for  that  matter, 
even  the  children  are  slaughtered  as  well  as  their  elders." 

"  They  are  a  war-loving  people,  that 's  a  fact,"  observed 
Eugene. 

"  Why,  it 's  their  chief  business,  it 's  all  they  think  of ; 
and  when  they  are  not  at  it  themselves,  which  is  n't  often, 
they  must  see  something  else  engaged  in  mortal  coiribat, 
and  so  they  take  great  delight  in  cock-fighting,  no  other 
amusement  affords  them  half  the  pleasure." 

"  I  have  n't  heard  you  mention  their  kings,"  said 
Chester,  suggestively* 

"  There  is  only  one  king  in  the  cluster,"  replied  the 
Captain ;  "  and  he  lives  on  Apamama,  and  reigns  over 
that  island,  together  with  Nanouki  and  Koria.  On  the 
other  islands  the  government  is  carried  on  by  a  council 
of  chiefs,  the  eldest  taking  the  first  place,  and  the  others 
being  reckoned  by  seniority.  Of  course  every  island  has 
its  own  council." 

"  In  their  own  districts,  these  chiefs,  I  suppose,  are 
independent?"  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  and  they  possess  certain  powers  and  privileges 
that  are  recognized  and  respected  everywhere  by  their 
fellow  chiefs.  Each  one  has  a  mark  peculiar  to  himself, 
and  when  a  stranger  places  hinjself  under  the  protection 
of  a  chief,  he  receives  the  mark  of  his  protector.  This 
is  very  simple,  and  consists  of  a  patch  of  paint  on  the 
forehead,  and  a  stripe  down  the  middle  of  the  face  as  far 
as  the  chin." 

"  Who  come  next  in  rank  to  the  chiefs  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 


THE   GILBERT    ISLANDS.  347 

"  The  land-holders,"  was  the  reply ;  "  and  after  them 
come  the  slaves,  the  third  and  last  division  of  the 
people." 

"  I  suppose  such  ferocious  fellows  must  be  cannibals  ?  " 
said  Eugene,  confidently. 

"  Hardly,"  rejoined  the  captain.  "  It  is  quite  true  though 
that  in  some  instances  portions  of  a  human  body  have  been 
eaten.  For  instance,  if  a  celebrated  warrior  is  killed, 
the  victors  sometimes  cook  the  body,  and  each  eats  a 
small  portion  of  it.  This  however  is  done,  not  from  a 
craving  for  human  flesh,  but  from  a  feeling  of  revenge, 
and  because  they  think  that  those  who  partake  of  it 
receive  a  portion  of  the  courage  which  once  animated 
the  body.  They  often,  too,  preserve  the  skulls  of  such 
warriors,  and  use  them  as  drinking  cups. 

"  The  skulls  of  the  dead  are  always  preserved  by  their 
friends,  as  in  the  northern  cluster,  provided  they  have 
died  natural  deaths,  or  their  bodies  have  been  recovered 
in  battle.  The  corpse  is  first  Itiid  out  on  mats  for  eight 
days,  being  washed,  oiled,  and  placed  in  the  sunshine  at 
noon  every  day,  while  the  friends  mourn,  dance,  and  sing 
praises  of  the  dead.  The  body  is  then  buried  for  some 
weeks,  after  which  the  skull  is  removed,  cleaned,  oiled, 
and  put  in  a  place  of  safety.  Occasionally  they  bring 
the  skulls  out,  and  after  oiling  them  afresh,  wreathe 
them  with  flowers,  and  set  food  before  them.  When  a 
family  removes  to  another  village,  they  take  the  skulls 
with  them. 

"  On  Makin  there  exists  the  most  extraordinary  funeral 
ceremony  in  the  world.  The  body  is  treated  in  the 
manner  already  described ;  but  after  the  first  day's 
wailing,  it  is  laid  on  a  new  mat  spread  over  a  great  tray 
made  of  tortoise-shell  sewed  together.  A  number  of  per- 
sons seat  themselves  opposite  each  other  on  the  floor  of 
the  house,  and  support  the  tray  on  their  knees  as  long  as 


348  THE  GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

they  are  able.  When  they  are  tired,  they  are  relieved  by 
others,  and  thus  the  body  is  borne  by  friends  and 
relatives  for  two  years,  the  bearers  relieving  each  other 
at  intervals." 

"  Good  gracious !"  exclaimed  Eugene  ;  "  and  what  hap- 
pens then  ?  " 

"  Why,  when  the  two  years  have  expired,  the  head  is 
removed,  and  the  skull  cleaned  and  preserved,  as  in  the 
other  islands.  The  bones  are  then  wrapped  up  in  mats 
and  buried.  The  place  where  a  warrior  has  been  interred 
is  always  marked  with  three  stones." 

"  Captain,"  said  the  second,  mate,  who  had  been  wait- 
ing some  minutes  for  a  chance  to  get  in  a  word,  "  Mr. 
Morgan  would  like  to  see  you  in  the  engine-room,  if  not 
too  much  trouble." 

"  Certainly,"  responded  the  Captain,  starting  to  his  feet ; 
"  excuse  me,  my  friends,"  and  he  hurried  forward,  closely 
followed  by  Seth  Cook. 

This  interruption  broke  up  the  party  for  the  day. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  KINGSMILLS  AND  OTHER  CORAL  ISLANDS. 

~T~  FIND,"  said  Chester  the  next  morning,  as  he 
1  joined  his  friends  in  their  accustomed  place,  and 
took  possession  of  the  seat  which  his  brother  consider- 
ately pushed  toward  him,  "  I  find  that  Dana  has  some- 
thing to  say  of  the  islands  which  the  Captain  told  us  so 
much  about  yesterday ;  and  he  gives  one  some  new 
ideas." 

"  Then  by  all  means  let  us  hear  him,"  exclaimed 
Captain  Bradford,  in  his  heartiest  manner. 

"  I  thought  of  Dana  myself  yesterday,  and  of  Wilkes 
too,"  said  the  Professor  ;  "  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
Captain  had  about  exhausted  the  subject.  However,  if 
there  is  anything  that  has  n't  been  brought  to  our  atten- 
tion, I  join  with  him  in  calling  for  it." 

"And  I  add  my  humble  entreaties  to  the  others," 
chimed  in  Eugene. 

"  Well,  then,"  began  Chester,  as  he  opened  the  book 
and  found  the  place,  "  he  first  mentions  Taputeonea  or 
Dnnnmond  Island,  and  speaks  of  the  village  of  Utiroa ; 
then,  after  alluding  to  the  great  Maneaba  and  giving  its 
dimensions,  he  goes  on  to  say  :  '  This  island,  unlike  the 
Duke  of  York's,  was  densely  peopled,  and,  owing  appar- 
ently to  the  scant  supply  of  fish  and  vegetables  thus 
occasioned,  many  of  the  natives  were  afflicted  with 
leprosy,  and  also  had  bad  teeth,  both  circumstances 
unusual  for  the  Pacific.' " 

"  Bad  teeth,  eh  ? "   exclaimed  Eugene  ;  "  that  does  n  't 
hardly  agree  with  what  you  said  yesterday,  Captain." 
15  (349) 


350  KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL  ISLANDS. 

"  He  is  speaking  of  a  single  island  now,"  returned  the 
Captain,  "  I  referred  to  the  islands  collectively.  As  a 
general  thing,  I  think  the  people  of  the  Kingsmill  group 
have  good  teeth." 

"  All  right ;  go  on  Chester,"  and  his  brother  resumed  : 

" '  Lean  in  body  and  savage  in  look  and  gesture,  they 
strangely  contrasted  with  their  fat,  jolly  kinsmen  on 
some  of  the  more  northern  islands  of  the  same  group. 
An  old  fat  chief  who  came  from  one  of  these  islands  to 
the  ship's  side  in  his  canoe  was  actually  too  large  to  have 
reached  the  deck  except  by  the  use  of  a  tackle.  It  was 
evident  that  infanticide  —  a  necessity  according  to  their 
system  of  political  economy  —  was  more  thoroughly  prac- 
ticed than  on  Drummond  Island,  and  that  the  population 
was  thus  kept  from  becoming  uncomfortably  numerous. 
The  obesity  was  probably  owing  to  their  having  nothing 
to  do,  and  plenty,  in  the  vegetable  way,  to  eat ;  for  their 
somewhat  elevated  equatorial  islands,  as  elsewhere  ob- 
served, are  unusually  productive  for  atolls  —  just  the 
place  for  a  voluptuous  barbarian. 

" '  The  people  on  Drummond  Island  were  great  thieves, 
and  knew  the  pleasure  of  a  cannibal  feast,  — 

"  There  it  is  again,  Captain  !  "  broke  in  Eugene.  "  He 
says  they  knew  the  pleasures  of  a  cannibal  feast;  you 
said  they  ate  very  little  human  flesh,  and  led  us  to  infer 
that  they  took  no  pleasure  in  it." 

"  If  Professor  Dana  really  thinks  the  Gilbert  Islanders 
are,  or  have  ever  been,  cannibals,  in  a  greater  'degree 
than  I  stated  yesterday,  I  am  sure  he  is  mistaken," 
replied  the  Captain,  with  much  earnestness. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Professor  ?"  asked  Eugene,  turning 
to  the  palaeontologist. 

"  I  think  it 's  very  like  the  matter  of  the  teeth,"  was 
the  answer.  "  On  some  of  the  islands  there  may  have 
been  cannibals,  and  Driiiuinoiul  may  have  been  one  of 
them." 


KINGSMILLS  AND   OTHER   CORAL  ISLANDS.  351 

«  That 's  it,  without  doubt.     Go  on,  Chester." 

"  He  next  mentions  the  weapons  the  Captain  told  us 
about,"  explained  his  brother.  '  Without  metals,  or  any 
kind  of  hard  stone,'  he  says,  *  they  make,  out  of  the 
teeth  of  the  sharks  caught  about  the  reefs,  a  sharp,  jag- 
ged edging  for  long  knives,  swords,  and  spears ;  and  the 
women,  jealous  of  one  another,  sometimes,  as  Mr.  Hale 
says,  carry  about  with  them  for  months  a  small  weapon 
of  shark's  teeth  concealed  under  their  dress,  watching 
for  an  opportunity  to  use  it ;  and  desperate  fights  some- 
times take  place.  The  same  author  mentions,  also,  some 
good  points  in  them ;  observing  that  the  women  are,  for 
the  most  part,  better  treated  than  is  common  among 
uncivilized  people ;  that  the  men  do  the  hard  out-door 
work,  while  the  women  clear  and  weed  the  ground,  and 
attend  to  the  domestic  duties  that  naturally  fall  to  them. 
"  Custom  also  requires  that  when  a  man  meets  a  female 
he  shall  pay  her  the  same  mark  of  respect  that  is  ren- 
dered to  a  chief,  by  turning  aside  to  let  her  pass "  —  a 
rule  that  probably  does  not  always  hold  in  practice.  He 
adds :  "  The  word  manda  signifies,  among  the  Gilbert 
Islanders,  a  man  thoroughly  accomplished  in  all  their 
knowledge  and  arts,  and  versed  in  every  noble  exercise ; 
a  good  dancer,  an  able  warrior,  one  who  has  seen  life  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  enjoyed  its  highest  excitements 
and  delights ;  in  short,  a  complete  man  of  the  world.  In 
their  estimation,  this  is  the  proudest  character  to  which 
any  person  can  attain ;  and  such  a  one  is  fully  prepared 
to  enter,  at  his  death,  on  the  highest  enjoyments  of  their 
elysium." 

"'Thus  much  for  the  human  productions  of  coral 
islands. 

" '  Although  the  vegetation  of   coral  islands  has  the 
luxuriance  that  characterizes  more  favored  tropical  lands, 
the  number  of  species  of  land  plants  is  small.' " 
15 


352  KINGSMILLS  AND  OTHER   CORAL  ISLANDS. 

"Don't  give  them,"  said  Eugene,  hastily;  "just  tell 
us  the  number." 

"  Twenty-eight  or  thirty  species." 

"  Well,  what  comes  next  ? " 

"  Something  in  praise  of  the  cocoanut  palm." 

"  Good ;  let 's  hear  it." 

"  We  have  had  something  on  the  same  subject  before." 

"Not  from  him.     We  '11  hear  this." 

"Very  well,"  said  Chester,  as  the  others  assented. 
"  *  The  cocoanut,'  he  remarks,  '  in  view  of  its  uses,  is  a 
dozen  trees  in  one.  Its  trunk  furnishes  timber  for  the 
houses  of  the  natives,  and  the  best  of  wood,  on  account 
of  its  weight  and  strength,  for  clubs  and  spears  —  weap- 
ons much  in  use  —  besides  serving  as  ornamental  side- 
arms.  Its  leaves  supply  material  for  thatching;  for 
coarse  matting  to  sit  on,  and  beautiful  fine  mats  for  use 
in  the  way  of  occasional  dress  ;  also  for  the  short  aprons 
or  petticoats  of  the  women,  above  alluded  to.  The  fruit, 
besides  its  delicately-flavored  hollow  kernel,  affords,  by 
the  grating  of  the  kernel,  a  milky  juice,  that  is  richer 
than  cream  for  purposes  of  native  cookery,  and  which  we 
explorers  often  used  with  satisfaction  in  coffee,  cows 
being  unknown  in  those  regions ;  also,  from  each  nut,  a 
pint  of  the  thinner  "  cocoanut  milk  "  —  a  more  agreeable 
drink  in  the  land  of  cocoanuts  than  in  New  York ;  also, 
an  abundant  oil,  much  valued  for  sleeking  down  their 
naked  bodies,  and  sometimes  offered  to  a  friendly  visitor 
whom  they  would  honor  with  a  like  anointing.  Fur- 
ther, from  the  young  fruit,  three-fourths  grown,  comes 
a  delightful  beverage,  as  brisk  nearly  as  soda-water, 
besides  a  rich  creamy  pulp;  both  of  these  far  better 
than  the  corresponding  products  of  the  ripe  fruit.  The 
husk  is  excellent  for  cordage,  twine,  thread,  fishing-lines  ; 
and  the  smaller  cord  serves  in  place  of  nails  for  securing 
together  the  beams  of  their  domestic  and  public  build- 


UNDER   THE   COCOANUT    PALMS. 


KINGSMILLS   AND    OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  355 

ings,  and  also  for  ornamenting  the  structure  within,  the 
cord  being  often  wound  with  much  taste  and  diversity 
of  figures.  The  nut  is,  when  opened,  a  ready-made 
drinking-cup  or  cooking  utensil.  Finally,  the  developing 
bud,  before  blossoming,  yields  a  large  supply  of  sweet 
juice,  from  which  molasses  is  sometimes  made,  and  then, 
by  fermentation,  a  spirituous  liquor,  called  among  the 
Gilbert  Islanders  by  a  name  that  sounded  very  much  like 
toddy,  and  possessing  qualities  that  answer  to  the  name ; 
but  this  is  procured  at  the  expense  of  the  fruit,  and  the 
good  of  the  tree,  and  also  of  the  best  interests  of  the 
natives.' " 

"  We  had  something  about  that  when  we  were  consid- 
ering Apaiang,"  remarked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain,  "  you  may  be  sure  the 
knowledge  of  toddy  is  pretty  well  distributed,  not  only 
in  every  part  of  the  Gilbert  group,  but  throughout  Poly- 
nesia." 

"  No  doubt  of  that,"  said  Chester,  and  then  resuming : 

" '  It  is  doubted  whether  the  ocean  is  ever  successful  in 
planting  the  cocoanut  on  coral  islands.  The  nut  seems 
to  be  well  fitted  for  marine  transportation,  through  its 
thick  husk,  which  serves  both  as  a  float  and  a  protection ; 
but  there  is  no  known  evidence  that  any  island  never 
inhabited  has  been  found  supplied  with  cocoanut  trees. 
The  possibility  of  a  successful  planting  by  the  waves 
cannot  be  denied ;  but  there  are  so  many  chances  that 
the  floating  nut  will  be  kept  too  long  in  the  water,  or  be 
thrown  where  it  cannot  germinate,  that  the  probability 
of  a  transplanting  is  exceedingly  small.' " 

"  That 's  new  to  me,"  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  I  always 
supposed  there  was  no  doubt  about  the  new  coral  islands 
being  indebted  to  the  waves  for  their  firs*  cocoanut 
trees." 

"  It  seems  there  is  a  good  deal  of  doubt,  though  —  at 
least,  in  the  mind  of  the  Professor,"  laughed  his  brother. 


356  KINGSMILLS   AND  OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS. 

"  So  I  see.     Well,  what  comes  next  ?  " 

"  The  pandanus." 

"  We  know  something  about  that,  already ;  still  we  are 
likely  to  learn  something  new,  so  go  on,"  and  Chester 
continued : 

"  *  Another  tree,  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  region,  is  the 
pandanus,  or  screw-pine  —  well  named  as  far  as  the  sylla- 
ble screw  goes,  but  having  nothing  of  a  pine  in  its  habit. 
Its  long,  sword-like  leaves,  of  the  shape  and  size  of  those 
of  a  large  iris,  are  set  spirally  on  the  few  awkward 
branches  toward  the  extremity  of  each,  and  make  a  tree 
strikingly  tropical  in  character.  It  grows  sometimes  to 
a  height  of  thirty  feet.  It  is  well  fitted  for  the  poor 
and  shallow  soil  of  a  coral  island,  for  as  it  enlarges  and 
spreads  its  branches,  one  prop  after  another  grows  out  of 
the  trunk  and  plants  itself  in  the  ground ;  and  by  this 
means  its  base  is  widened  and  the  growing  tree  sup- 
ported. The  fruit,  a  large,  ovoidal  mass  made  up  of 
oblong  dry  seed,  diverging  from  a  center,  each  near  two 
cubic  inches  in  size,  affords  a  sweetish,  husky  article  of 
food,  which,  though  little  better  than  prepared  corn- 
stalks, admits  of  being  stored  away  for  use  when  other 
things  fail ;  and  at  the  Gilbert  Islands  and  others  in  that 
part  of  the  ocean,  is  so  employed. 

"'The  pisonia  is  another  of  the  forest  trees,  and  is 
one  of  handsome  foliage  and  large  and  beautiful  flowers, 
sometimes  attaining  a  height  of  forty  feet,  and  the  trunk 
twenty  in  girt. 

"' Among  the  species  that  are  earliest  in  taking  root 
in  the  emerging  coral  debris  over  the  reef,  there  are  the 
portulaccae  (species  of  purslane)  ;  the  Triumphetta  pro- 
ciimbens,  a  creeping,  yellow-flowering  plant  of  the  Tilia 
family ;  the  Tournefortia  sericea,  a  low,  hoary  shrub  of 
the  family  Boraginaceac  ;  and  Sccevola  konigii,  a  sub-fleshy 
sea-shore  plant.' 


KINGSMtLLS   AND    OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  357 

"  He  now  mentions  the  plants  of  some  other  islands. 
1  On  Rose  Island,'  he  says,  'just  east  of  the  Navigator 
group,  Dr.  C.  Pickering,  of  the  Wilkes  Exploring  Expe- 
dition, found  only  a  species  of  pisonia  and  of  portulacca. 
This  is  a  small  atoll,  under  water  at  high  tide,  excepting 
two  banks,  one  of  which  is  covered  with  trees. 

" '  In  the  Marshall  group,  on  the  contrary,  where  the 
vegetation  is  more  varied,  and  the  islands  have  probably 
undergone  some  elevation  since  they  were  made,  Chamisso 
observed  fifty-two  species  of  land  plants,  and  in  a  few 
instances  the  banana,  taro,  and  bread-fruit  were  culti- 
vated. At  the  elevated  coral  island,  Metia,  north  of 
Tahiti,  250  feet  above  the  sea,  sugar-cane  and  bread-fruit 
and  many  plants  of  the  Society  group  occur.'  • 

"  He  now  comes  to  the  important  matter  of  water." 

"  There 's  enough  of  that,  I  should  judge,"  remarked 
Eugene,  casting  a  sweeping  glance  over  the  boundless 
waste  around  them. 

"  I  mean  drinking  water,"  explained  his  brother. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  say  so,  then  ?  Logan  says  the  only 
water  fit  to  drink  on  all  coral  islands  is  rain-water. 
What  does  Dana  say?" 

"  lie  says :  '  Water  is  to  be  found  commonly  in  suffi- 
cient quantities  for  the  use  of  the  natives,  although  the 
land  is  so  low  and  flat.  They  dig  wells,'  he  says, '  five  to 
ten  feet  deep  in  any  part  of  the  dry  islets,  and  generally 
obtain  a  constant  supply.  These  wells  are  sometimes 
fenced  around  with  special  care ;  and  the  houses  of  the 
villagers,  as  at  Fakaafo,  are  often  clustered  about  them. 
On  Aratica  (Carlshoff)  there  is  a  watering-place  50  feet 
in  diameter,  from  which  vessels  of  the  Wilkes  Expedition 
obtained  390  gallons.' " 

"  That  reminds  me,"  interposed  the  Captain,  "  of  the 
curious  place  where  they  procure  water  on  Ocean  Island. 
It  is  the  only  place  on  the  island  where  fresh  water  can 


358  KINGSMILLS   AND  OTHER    CORAL   ISLANDS. 

be  had,  and  is  in  a  large  cavern  at  some  distance  below 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  By  reason  of  a  superstitious 
belief,  no  one  but  women  are  allowed  to  descend  into  this 
cavern ;  hence  the  females  bring  all  the  water  that  is 
required  by  the  natives  in  cocoanut-shells,  as  they  have 
no  utensils  of  a  larger  description.  During  some  seasons 
of  the  year  the  water  is  very  low,  and  the  king  places  all 
on  short  allowance.  At  such  times  many  suffer  greatly 
for  want  of  it.  A  captain  of  my  acquaintance,  who  once 
visited  the  island  during  the  dry  season,  says  that  the 
natives  came  off  to  his  ship  in  swarms  to  get  water  to 
drink,  and  so  numerous  were  they  that  he  was  obliged 
to  compel  them  to  desist,  as  he  had  barely  sufficient  to 
last  till  the  -end  of  the  cruise." 

"  Ocean  Island  —  why,  that 's  where  they  produce  so 
many  pumpkins  and  garden  vegetables,  is  n't  it  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain ;  "  formerly  they  raised 
vast  quantities,  and  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  with 
passing  ships  —  especially  whalers.  The  pumpkins,  how- 
ever, were,  in  reality,  what  New  Englanders  call  the 
crooked-neck  squash." 

"  I  have  heard  that  the  island  is  very  beautiful,"  said 
Chester. 

"  It  is  the  most  beautiful  in  the  group,"  rejoined  the 
Captain ;  "  and  there  are  few  more  beautiful  in  all  the 
Pacific.  The  land  is  moderately  high,  and  presents  a 
very  even  surface." 

"  But  you  see,"  remarked  the  Professor,  "  that  they  do 
sometimes  suffer  for  the  want  of  water  on  these  islands, 
as  Mr.  Logan  intimated." 

"  Ah,  yes ! "  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  but  what  more  does 
Dana  say,  Chester?" 

" '  The  Gilbert  Islands,'  he  says,"  resumed  the  reader, 
"'are  generally  provided  with  a  supply  sufficient  for 


KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  359 

/ 

bathing,  and  each  native  takes  his  morning  bath  in  fresh 
water,  which  is  esteemed  by  them  a  great  luxury.  On 
Tari-tari  (of  the  Gilbert  group),  as  Mr.  Horatio  Hale, 
philologist  of  the  Wilkes  Expedition,  was  informed  by  a 
Scotch  sailor  by  the  name  of  Grey,  taken  from  the 
island,  there  is  a  trench  or  canal  several  miles  long,  and 
two  feet  deep.  They  have  taro  plantations  (which  is 
possible  only  where,  there  is  a  large  supply  of  water), 
and  besides  some  bread-fruit.  He  spoke  of  the  taro 
as  growing  to  a  very  large  size,  and  as  being  in  great 
abundance ;  it  was  planted  along  each  side  of  the  pond. 
Grey  added  further  that  ten  ships  of  the  line  might  water 
there,  though  the  place  was  not  reached  without  some 
difficulty.  There  were  fish  in  the  pond  which  had  been 
put  in  while  young.  The  bottom  was  adhesive  like  clay. 
These  islands  have  been  elevated  a  little,  but  are  not 
over  fifteen  feet  above  the  sea. 

"  *  Kotzebue  observes,  that  "  in  the  inner  part  of  Otdia 
(one  of  the  Marshall  Islands),  there  is  a  lake  of  sweet 
water ;  and  in  Tabual,  of  the  Group  Aur,  a  marshy 
ground  exists.  There  is  no  want  of  fresh  water  in  the 
larger  islands ;  it  rises  in  abundance  in  the  pits  dug  for 
the  purpose. 

" '  The  only  source  of  this  water  is  the  rains,  which, 
percolating  through  the  loose  sands,  settle  upon  the 
hardened  coral  rock  that  forms  the  basis  of  the  island. 
As  the  soil  is  white,  or  nearly  so,  it  receives  heat  but 
slowly,  and  there  is  consequently  but  little  evaporation 
of  the  water  that  is  once  absorbed.' " 

"  So  it  is  the  rain,  after  all,"  murmured  Eugene. 

"  Of  course,"  responded  his  brother,  a  little  impatient- 
ly, and  then  continued  : 

" '  Water  is  sometimes  obtained  by  making  a  large 
cavity  in  the  body  of  a  cocoanut  tree,  two  feet  or  so 

from  the  ground.     At  the  Duke  of  York's  Island,  and 
15* 


360  KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS. 

probably  also  at  the  adjacent  Bowditch  Island,  this 
method  is  put  in  practice ;  the  cavities  hold  five  or  six 
gallons  of  water.' " 

"  For  my  part,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  emphatically,  "  I 
have  had  quite  enough  of  water.  Can 't  you  give  us 
something  else,  brother  ?  " 

"  How  would  birds  suit  you  ?  "  asked  Chester.  "  In 
speaking  of  them,  I  see  he  refers  to  Houden  Island, 
Wilkes's  account  of  which  so  fascinated  the  Professor, 
you  remember." 

"  That  will  do  —  if  there 's  not  too  much  of  it." 

"  I  '11  endeavor  to  cut  it  short."  And  Chester  con- 
tinued : 

"  *  The  tropical  birds  of  the  islands  are  often  more  in 
keeping  with  the  beautiful  scenery  about  them  than  the 
savage  inhabitants.  On  one  atoll  —  Houden  Island  of 
the  Paumotous,  where  no  natives  had  ever  dwelt  —  the 
birds  were  so  innocent  of  fear,  that  we  took  them  from 
the  trees  as  we  would  fruit,  and  many  a  songster  lost  a 
tail-feather,  as  it  sat  perched  on  a  branch,  apparently 
unconscious  that  the  world  contained  an  enemy.' " 

"  He  then  refers  to  J.  D.  Hague's  account  of  the  birds 
of  Jarvis's  and  some  other  uninhabited  islands  of  the 
equatorial  Pacific,  and  makes  a  quotation  from  it,"  ex- 
plained Chester,  looking  up  from  the  book. 

"  Well,  that  ought  to  be  worth  listening  to,"  com- 
mented Eugene. 

"  I  think  we  would  all  like  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor. And  thus  encouraged,  Chester  read : 

" '  From  fifteen  to  twenty  varieties  of  birds  may  be 
distinguished  among  those  frequenting  the  islands,  of 
which  the  principal  arc  gannets  and  boobies,  frigate-birds, 
tropic-birds,  tern,  noddies,  petrels,  and  some  game-birds, 
as  the  curlew,  snipe,-  and  plover.  Of  terns,  there  are 
several  species,  the  most  numerously  represented  of 


KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  361 

which  is  what  I  believe  to  be  the  Sterna  hirundo.  These 
frequent  the  island  twice  in  the  year  for  the  purpose  of 
breeding.  They  rest  on  the  ground,  making  no  nests, 
but  selecting  tufts  of  grass,  where  such  may  be  found, 
under  which  to  lay  their  eggs.  I  have  seen  acres  of 
ground  thus  thickly  covered  by  these  birds,  whose  num- 
bers might  be  told  by  millions.  Between  the  breeding 
seasons  they  diminish  considerably  in  numbers,  though 
they  never  entirely  desert  the  island.  They  are  expert 
fishers  and  venture  far  out  to  sea  in  quest  of  prey.  •  The 
noddies  (Sterna  stolida~)  are  also  very  numerous.  They 
are  black  birds,  somewhat  larger  than  pigeons,  with 
much  longer  wings,  and  very  simple  and  stupid.  They 
burrow  holes  in  the  guano,  in  which  they  live  and  raise 
their  young,  generally  inhabiting  that  part  of  the  deposit 
which  is  shallowest  and  driest.  Their  numbers  seem  to 
be  about  the  same  throughout  the  year.  The  gannet  and 
booby,  two  closely  allied  species  (of  the  genus  Sula),  are 
represented  by  two  or  three  varieties.  They  are  large 
birds,  and  great  devourers  of  fish,  which  they  take  very 
expertly,  not  only  catching  those  that  leap  out  of  the 
water,  but  diving  beneath  the  surface  for  them.  They 
are  very  awkward  and  unwieldy  on  land,  and  may  be 
easily  overtaken  and  captured,  if  indeed  they  attempt  to 
escape  at  all  on  the  approach  of  man.  They  rest  on  the 
trees  wherever  there  is  opportunity,  but  in  these  islands 
they  collect  in  great  groups  on  the  ground,  where  they 
lay  their  eggs  and  raise  their  young.  One  variety,  not 
very  numerous,  has  the  habit  of  building  up  a  pile  of 
twigs  and  sticks,  twenty  or  thirty  inches  in  height,  par- 
ticularly on  Howlands,  where  more  material  of  that  sort 
is  at  hand,  on  wrhich  they  make  their  nest.  When  fright- 
ened, these  birds  disgorge  the  contents  of  their  stomachs, 
the  capacity  of  which  is  Something  very  astonishing. 
They  are  gross  feeders,  and  I  have  often  seen  one  dis- 
15* 


302  KINGSMILLS    AND    OTHEK    CORAL   ISLANDS. 

gorge  three  or  four  large  flying  fish  fifteen  or  eighteen 
inches  in  length. 

" '  The  frigate-bird  is  a  large,  rapacious  bird,  the  tyrant 
of  the  feathered  community.  It  lives  almost  entirely  by 
piracy,  forcing  other  birds  to  contribute  to  its  support. 
These  frigate-birds  hover  over  the  island  constantly,  lying 
in  wait  for  fishing  birds  returning  from  the  sea  to  whom 
they  give  chase,  and  the  pursued  bird  escapes  only  by 
disgorging  its  prey,  which  the  pursuer  very  adroitly 
catches  in  the  air.  They  also  prey  upon  flying  fish  and 
others  that  leap  from  sea  to  sea,  but  never  dive  for  fish 
and  rarely  ever  approach  the  water. 

" '  The  above  are  the  kind  of  birds  most  numerously 
represented,  and  to  which  we  owe  the  existing  deposits 
of  guano.  Besides  these  are  the  tropic-birds,  which  are 
found  in  considerable  numbers  on  llowland's  Island,  but 
seldom  on  Jarvis's  or  Baker's.  They  prefer  the  former 
because  there  are  large  blocks  or  fragments  of  beach 
rock,  scattered  over  the  island's  surface,  under  which 
they  burrow  out  nests  for  themselves.  A  service  is 
sometimes  required  of  this  bird,  which  may,  perhaps,  be 
worthy  of  notice :  A  setting  bird  was  taken  from  her 
nest  and  carried  to  sea  by  a  vessel  just  leaving  the 
island.  On  the  second  day,  at  sea,  a  rag,  on  which  was 
written  a  message,  was  attached  to  the  bird's  feet,  who 
returned  to  the  nest,  bringing  with  it  the  intelligence  of 
the  departed  vessel.  This  experiment  succeeded  so  well 
that,  subsequently,  these  birds  were  carried  from  How- 
land's  to  Baker's  Island  —  forty  miles  distant  —  and,  on 
being  liberated  there,  one  after  the  other,  as  occasion 
demanded,  brought  back  messages,  'proving  themselves 
useful  in  the  absence  of  other  means  of  communication. 
The  game  birds,  snipe,  plover,  and  curlew,  frequent  the 
islands  in  the  fall  and  winter,  but  I  never  io  md  any  evi- 
dence of  their  breeding  there.  They  do  not  leave  the 


KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  363 

t 

island  in  quest  of  prey,  but  may  be  seen  at  low-tide  pick- 
ing up  their  food  on  the  reef  which  is  then  almost  dry. 

" '  Some  of  the  social  habits  of  these  birds  are  worthy 
of  remark.  The  gannets  and  boobies  usually  crowd 
together  in  a  very  exclusive  manner.  The  frigate-birds 
likewise  keep  themselves  distinct  from  other  kinds.  The 
tern  appropriate  to  themselves  a  certain  portion  of  the 
island ;  each  family  collects  in  its  accustomed  roosting 
place,  but  all  in  peace  and  harmony.  The  feud  between 
the  fishing  birds  and  their  oppressors,  the  frigate-birds, 
is  only  active  in  the  air ;  if  the  gannet  or  booby  can  but 
reach  the  ground,  land  and  plant  its  feet  on  the  ground, 
the  pursuer  gives  up  the  chase  immediately.' " 

"Does  n't  Dana  have  something  to  say  about  the  fish?" 
asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes,"  responded  Chester ;  "  I  notice  a  few  words  just 
here,  and  he  touches  lightly  on  a  variety  of  subjects. 

"'The  extensive  reefs  about  coral  islands,'^pe  says, 
'  abound  in  fish,  which  are  easily  captured,  and  the 
natives,  with  wooden  hooks,  often  bring  in  larger  kinds 
from  the  deep  waters.  From  such  resources  a  popula- 
tion of  7,000  persons  is  supported  on  the  single  island  of 
Taputeuea,  whose  whole  habitable  area  does  not  exceed 
six  square  miles.  There  are  also  shell-fish  of  edible 
kinds,  and  others  that  are  the  source  of  considerable 
activity  in  pearl-fishing. 

" '  An  occasional  log  drifts  to  the  shores,  and  at  some 
of  the  more  isolated  atolls,  where  the  natives  are  ignorant 
of  any  land  but  the  spot  they  inhabit,  they  are  deemed 
direct  gifts  from  a  propitiated  deity.  These  drift-logs 
were  noticed  by  Kotzebue,  at  the  Marshall  Islands,  and 
he  remarked  also  that  they  often  brought  stones  in  their 
roots.  Similar  facts  have  been  observed  at  the  Gilbert 
group,  and  also  at  Enderby's  Island,  and  many  other 
coral  islands  in  the  Pacific.  The  stones  at  the  Gilbert 


3G4  KINGSMILLS   AND    OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS. 

Islands,  as  far  as  could  be  learned,  are  generally  basaltic 
or  volcanic,  and  they  are  highly  valued  among  the  natives 
for  whet-stones,  pestles,  and  hatchets.  The  logs  are 
claimed  by  the  chiefs  for  canoes.  Some  of  the  logs 
seen  by  the  author,  like  those  at  Enderby's  Island,  were 
forty  feet  or  more  long.  Several  large  masses  of  com- 
pact cellular  lava  occur  on  Rose  Island,  a  few  degrees 
east  of  the  Navigator  group ;  they  were  lying  two  hun- 
dred yards  inside  of  the  line  of  breakers.  The  island  is 
uninhabited,  and  the  origin  of  the  stones  is  doubtful ; 
they  may  have  been  brought  there  by  roots  of  trees,  or 
perhaps  by  some  canoe. 

" '  Fragments  of  pumice  and  resin  are  transported  by 
the  waves  to  many  of  the  islands  in  the  Central  Pacific. 
We  were  informed  at  the  Gilbert  Islands  that  the  pumice 
was  gathered  from  the  shores  by  women  and  pounded  up 
to  fertilize  the  soil  of  their  taro  patches ;  and  that  it  is 
commoner  a  woman  to  pick  up  a  peck  a  day. 

" '  Where  this  pumice  comes  from  is  not  ascertained. 
It  is  probably  drifted  from  the  westward,  and  perhaps 
from  volcanic  islands  of  the  Ladrones,  or  the  Philippines. 
In  addition,  volcanic  ashes  are  sometimes  distributed 
over  these  islands,  through"  the  atmosphere.  In  this 
manner  the  soil  of  the  Tonga  Islands  has  been  improved, 
and  in  some  places  it  has  even  received  a  reddish  color. 
This  group  has  its  own  active  volcano  to  supply  the 
ashes,  and  the  volcanic  group  of  the  New  Hebrides  is  not 
far  distant  to  the  southwest. 

. " '  Notwithstanding  all  the  products  and  all  the  attrac- 
tions of  a  coral  island,'  he  then  goes  on  to  say, '  even  in 
its  best  condition  it  is  but  a  miserable  place  for  human 
development,  physical,  mental,  or  moral.  There  is  poetry 
in  every  feature,  but  the  natives  find  this  a  poor  substi- 
tute for  the  bread-fruit  and  yams  of  more  favored  lands. 
The  cocoanut  and  pandamis  are,  in  general,  the  only 


KINGSMILLS  AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  365 

products  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  afforded  for  their 
sustenance,  and  fish,  shell-fish,  and  crabs  from  the  reefs 
their  only  animal  food.  Scanty,  too,  is  the  supply  ;  and 
infanticide  is  resorted  to  in  self-defense,  where  but  a  few 
years  would  otherwise  overstock  the  half  a  dozen  square 
miles  of  which  their  little  world  consists  —  a  world  with- 
out rivers,  without  hills,  in  the  midst  of  salt  water,  with 
the  most  elevated  point  but  ten  to  twenty  feet  above  high 
tide,  and  no  part  more  than  three  hundred  yards  from 
the  ocean. 

"  *  In  the  more  isolated  coral  islands,  the  language  of 
the  natives  indicates  their  poverty  as  well  as  the  limited 
productions  and  unvarying  features  of  the  land.  All 
words  like  those  for  mountain,  hill,  river,  and  many  of 
the  implements  of  their  ancestors,  as  well  as  the  trees 
and  other  vegetation  of  the  land  from  which  they  are 
derived,  are  lost  to  them ;  and  as  words  are  but  signs  for 
ideas,  they  have  fallen  off  in  general  intelligence.  It 
would  be  an  interesting  inquiry  for  the  philosopher,  to 
what  extent  a  race  of  men  placed  in  such  circumstances 
is  capable  of  mental  improvement.  Perhaps  the  query 
might  be  best  answered  by  another.  How  many  of  the 
various  arts  of  civilized  life  could  exist  in  a  land  where 
shells  are  the  only  cutting  instruments,  —  the  plants  of 
the  land  in  all  but  twenty-nine  in  number,  —  minerals 
but  one,  —  quadrupeds  none,  with  the  exception  of  for- 
eign rats  and  mice,  —  fresh  water  barely  enough  for 
household  purposes,  —  no  streams,  nor  mountains,  nor 
hills  ?  How  much  of  the  poetry  or  literature  of  Europe 
would  be  intelligible  to  persons  whose  ideas  had  expanded 
only  to  the  limits  of  a  coral  island ;  who  had  never  con- 
ceived of  a  surface  of  land  above  half  a  mile  in  breadth, — 
of  a  slope  higher  than  a  beach,  —  of  a  change  of  seasons 
beyond  a  variation  in  the  prevalence  of  rains  ?  What 
elevation  in  morals  should  be  expected  upon  a  contracted 


366  KINGSMILLS    AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS. 

islet,  so  readily  over-peopled  that  threatened  starvation 
drives  to  infanticide,  and  tends  to  cultivate  the  extremest 
selfishness  ?  Assuredly  there  is  not  a  more  unfavorable 
spot  for  moral  or  intellectual  progress  in  the  wide  world 
than  the  coral  island. 

" l  Still,  if  well  supplied  with  foreign  stores,  including  a 
good  stock  of  ice,  they  might  become,  were  they  more 
accessible,  a  pleasant  temporary  resort  for  tired  workers 
from  civilized  lands,  who  wish  quiet,  perpetual  summer 
air,  salt-water  bathing,  and  boating  or  yachting;  and 
especially  for  those  who  could  draw  inspiration  from  the 
mingled  beauties  of  grove,  lake,  ocean,  and  coral  meads 
and  grottoes,  where 

' '  —  Life  in  rare  and  beautiful  forms 
Is  sporting  amid  the  bowers  of  stone." 

" '  But  after  all,  the  dry  land  of  the  atoll  is  so  limited, 
its  features  so  tame,  its  supply  of  fresh  water  so  small, 
and  of  salt  water  so  large,  that  whoever  should  build  his 
cottage  on  one  of  them  would  probably  be  glad,  after  a 
short  experience,  to  transfer  it  to  an  island  of  larger 
dimensions,  like  Tahiti  or  Upolu,  one  more  varied  in 
surface  and  productions ;  that  has  its  mountains  and 
precipices ;  its  gorges  and  open  valleys  ;  leaping  torrents 
not  less  than  surging  billows ;  and  forests  spreading  up 
the  declivities,  as  well  as  groves  of  palms  and  corals  by 
the  shores.' 

"  He  then  again  refers  to  the  one  mineral  product  of 
atolls,  calcite  or  carbonate  of  lime,  the  material  of  the 
coral  rock,  and  says  it  is  the  only  kind  on  the  great 
majority  of  them  ;  but  states  that  on  some  of  the  smaller 
.  islands,  such  us  Jarvis's,  Baker's,  Rowland's,  Maiden's, 
McKean's,  Birnic's,  Phoenix's,  Enderby's,  and  others, 
there  are,  in  addition  to  this,  and  the  stones  brought 
by  logs  with  the  floating  pumice,  beds  of  gypsum  which 
have  been  made  through  the  evaporation  of  sea-water 


KINGSMILLS   AND   OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS.  367 

in  the  gradually  drying  lagoon  basins ;  and  also  large 
deposits  of  guano  from  the  multitudes  of  seabirds  that 
occupy  them. 

"  One  word,"  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  I  suppose  these 
islands  sometimes  suffer  from  earthquakes  and  storms. 
Does  he  say  anything  on  the  subject  ?  " 

"  He  says  that  in  this  respect,  coral  islands  are  like 
the  continents,  and  that  occasionally  a  devastating  wave 
sweeps  across  the  land." 

"  Good  gracious  !  I  should  suppose  that,  at  such  times, 
everything  would  be  swept  away  ;  for  the  usual  elevation 
of  the  land  is  no  more  than  ten  or  twelve  feet,  and  so, 
easily  overtopped  by  the  more  violent  seas." 

"  Yes ;  and  during  the  heavier  gales,  the  natives  are 
obliged  to  secure  their  houses  by  tying  them  to  the  cocoa- 
nut  trees,  or  to  a  stake  planted  in  the  ground  for  the 
purpose.  Such  tremendous  earthquake-waves  as  those 
which  have  swept  up  the  coast  of  Spain,  Peru,  and  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  Dana  says,  would  produce  a  complete 
deluge  over  these  islands.  He  was  informed  that  effects 
of  this  kind  had  been  experienced  at  the  Gilbert  Islands ; 
but  the  statements  were  too  indefinite  to  determine 
whether  the  results  should  be  attributed  to  storms,  or  to 
this  more  violent  cause ;  and  he  closes  the  subject  by  say- 
ing that  while  coral  islands  have  their  storms,  the  region 
in  their  vicinity  is  generally  one  of  light  winds  and  calms, 
even  when  the  trades  are  blowing  strongly  all  around 
them.  '  The  heated  air  which  rises  from  the  islands,'  he 
says,  '  lifts  the  currents  to  a  considerable  height  above 
the  island.'  And  he  calls  attention  to  J.  D.  Hague's 
statement,  that  on  Jarvis's  and  the  two  neighboring 
islands,  under  the  equator,  near  180°  in  longitude  from 
Greenwich,  he  '  often  observed  the  remarkable  phenome- 
non of  a  .rain-squall  approaching  the  island,  and,  just 
before  reaching  it,  separating  into  two  parts,  one  of 


368     •         KINGSMILLS   AND  OTHER   CORAL   ISLANDS. 

which  passed  by  on  the  north,  the  other  on  the  south 
side,  the  cloud  having  been  cleft  by  the  column  of  heated 
air  rising  from  the  white  coral  sands.'  And  now,  I 
think,  we  have  had  enough  of  coral  islands  for  to-day." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  his  brother ;  "  though  I 
must  admit  I  have  been  greatly  interested." 

"  So  have  we  all,"  added  the  Professor ;  "  and  I  think 
Chester  deserves  a  vote  of  thanks." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he  started  to  his  feet, 
"  and  I  only  hope  we  shall  be  as  agreeably  entertained 
another  day." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

TAHITI,  OR  SOCIETY  ISLANDS. 

66  TT)ROFESSOR,"  asked  Chester,  a  day  or  two  later, 
I  "  do  you  remember  who  discovered  Tahiti  ?  " 

"It  is  said  that  Quiros,  a  Spaniard,  originally  dis- 
covered the  island,  in  1606,"  was  the  answer.  "  He 
called  it  Sagittaria.  Many  others,  however,  during  the 
following  seventy  odd  years,  visited  the  group,  laid  claims 
to  the  discovery,  and  gave  names  to  the  islands." 

"  About  the  name,  what  should  we  call  it  ?  I  mean' 
the  group,  of  course." 

"  For  my  part,  I  like  Tahiti,  or  the  Tahitian  Islands ; 
but  you  will  find  that  the  preference  is  generally  given 
by  geographers  to  Society  Islands.  The  group  is  divided 
into  two  clusters,  one  of  which  lies  seventy  miles  north- 
west of  the  other,  and  formerly  they  were  distinguished 
by  the  separate  designations  of  the  Society  Islands 
(proper)  and  the  Tahiti  or  Georgian  Islands." 

"  Sailors  usually  speak  of  one  cluster  as  the  windward 
and  the  other  as  the  leeward ;  applying  the  term  Tahi- 
tian, or  Society  Islands  to  both  combined,"  observed  the 
Captain. 

"  Very  true,"  assented  the  Professor. 

"  What  are  the  names  of  the  several  Islands  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Those  of  the  Tahiti  cluster,"  answered  the  Professor, 
"  are  Tahiti  or  Otaheite,  Eimeo  or  Moorea,  Maiaoiti,  Mai- 
tia,  and  Tetuaroa.  Those  of  the  Society  Islands  proper 
are  Huahine,  Raiatea,  Otaha  or  Tahaa,  Borabora,  Marua 

(369) 


370  TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

or  Maupiti,  and  Tubai.  Besides  these  there  are  several 
islets  not  worth  mentioning." 

"  The  islands  are  very  mountainous,  are  they  not  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Extremely  so,  in  the  interior,"  was  the  answer ; 
"  but  extending  from  the  base  of  the  high  lands  to  the 
sea,  they  have  a  border  from  one  to  five  miles  wide  of 
rich  level  land." 

"  The  mountains  are  singularly  picturesque  in  charac- 
ter, I  have  heard,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  responded  the  Professor,  with  enthusi- 
asm ;  "  sometimes  the  rocks  shoot  up  into  sharp  and 
spire-like  peaks,  sometimes  they  run  for  miles  in  perpen- 
dicular precipices,  several  thousand  feet  in  height ;  some- 
times they  are  scarped  and  angular  like  gigantic  fort- 
resses, sometimes  they  are  cleft  into  ravines  of  terrible 
depth,  and  sometimes  they  are  scooped  out  into  hol- 
lows like  the  craters  of  extinct  volcanoes.  In  fact,  the 
islands  arc  so  filled  with  lofty  peaks  and  crags  that  the 
only  way  of  reaching  the  interior  is  by  following  the 
course  of  the  valleys." 

"  Some  of  the  mountains  are  very  high,  are  they  not?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  The  highest  peak  on  the  island  of  Tahiti  reaches  an 
elevation  of  7,339  feet,"  was  the  reply. 

"The  islands  are  of  volcanic  origin,  I  suppose?" 

"  The  lava,  basalts,  and  pumice-stone,  which  have  been 
found  in  several  places,  would  so  indicate." 

"There  must  be  many  delightful  streams  in  the  larger 
islands,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  responded  the  Professor,  "  all  are  watered  by 
numerous  streams,  upon  the  banks  of  which,  or  along 
the  shores,  the  inhabitants  reside.  These  streams  have 
their  source  well  up  in  the  mountains,  and  come  dashing 
in  torrents  down  the  craggy  steeps,  fertilizing  the  soil  in 


TAHITI,   OB  SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  371 

their  course,  which,  in  return,  brings  forth  in  prodigal 
profusion,  the  richest  of  foliage  and  the  most  gorgeous  of 
flowers.  Then,  in  some  of  the  islands,  there  are  lovely 
lakes  and  lagoons ;  and  all  are  surrounded  by  belts  of 
coral  rock,  of  various  width,  situated  from  a  few  yards  to 
five  or  more  miles  from  the  shore,  with  openings  which 
permit  the  passage  of  canoes,  while  some  of  them  admit 
ships  to  smooth  water  and  good  anchorage." 

"  The  climate  is  about  perfection,  I  have  been  led  to 
believe,"  observed  Chester. 

"It  is  healthful  and  very  mild,"  said  the  Professor, 
"  the  range  of  the  thermometer  throughout  the  year 
being  inconsiderable." 

"  From  what  you  said  a  moment  ago,  I  suppose  there 
is  no  lack  of  fruits  and  vegetables  on  the  islands  ? " 

"  Besides  the  bread-fruit,  they  produce  almost  every 
tropical  vegetable  and  fruit,  including  some  peculiar  to 
the  group." 

"  Yes,"  added  the  Captain,  "  and  quite  a  number  of 
fruits  and  vegetables  have  been  introduced  from  the 
temperate  regions." 

"  True,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  the  guava 
shrub,  brought  from  Norfolk  Island,  is  now  common,  and, 
I  learn,  bears  a  profusion  of  fruit,  upon  which  pigs  and 
cattle  feed  with  avidity.  The  introduction  of  limes  and 
oranges  has  also  been  very  successful." 

"  The  natives  must  have  very  fine  and  productive  gar- 
dens, I  should  judge,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  garden 
produce  is  little  cultivated,  and  agriculture  is  very  back- 
ward." 

"  Why,"  exclaimed  Chester,  "  only  the  other  day  Mr. 
Morgan  informed  me  that  they  have  quite  a  fine  botanic 
garden  on  Tahiti ;  and  hence,  I  supposed  they  must  feel 
a  deep  interest  in  such  things." 


372  TAHITI,   OB   SOCIETY  ISLANDS. 

"  It  is  true  that  the  French  established  such  a  garden, 
and  it  offers  seeds  to  colonists  and  natives ;  but  there  is 
little  demand  for  them,  and  prizes  offered  to  stimulate 
production  were  withdrawn  in  1865  as  useless." 

"  What  a  pity ! "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  The  islanders 
must  be  exceedingly  lazy  or  very  short-sighted,  I  should 
think." 

"Ah!  but  you  see  the  spontaneous  production  of 
fruits  is  quite  sufficient  for  the  natives,"  said  the 
Captain. 

"  Have  I  not  heard  that  some  efforts  have  been  made 
toward  the  cultivation  of  cotton  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Very  likely,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  for  in  1861  an 
Anglo-Portuguese  agricultural  company  was  established 
for  the  cultivation  of  that  plant  and  coffee  by  Chinese 
coolies  ;  but  it  has  effected  very  little." 

"  How  about  animals,  Professor  ? "  asked  Eugene, 
suddenly. 

"  Pigs,  dogs,  and  rats  were  the  only  quadrupeds  found 
upon  the  islands  at  the  time  of  their  discovery ;  but  all 
our  domestic  animals  have  been  introduced,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  sheep  and  rabbit  have  thriven  remark- 
ably well.  Horned  cattle  are  abundant,  and  meat  is 
reasonably  cheap." 

"  Are  there  many  birds  ?" 

"  There  are  large  numbers  of  aquatic  fowl ;  the  alba- 
tross, tropic  birds,  and  petrel  are  found  on  all  the 
islands;  herons  and  wild  ducks  frequent  the  lakes  and 
lagoons ;  and  there  are  several  kinds  of  birds  of  prey, 
wood-peckers,  and  small  paroquets." 

"  Domestic  fowl  were  found  upon  the  islands  at  the 
time  they  were  discovered,  I  think,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,  and  were  then,  and  are  now,  very  abundant," 
rejoined  the  Professor. 

"The  natives  belong  to  the  Malay  race,  do  they  not?" 
asked  Eugene. 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  373 

"They  are  of  the  same  race  as  the  Marquesans  and 
other  brown  Polynesians,  and  you  remember  what  Judge 
Fornander,  Mr.  Logan,  and  others  say  about  them." 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  remember  now.  But  you  have  seen  them, 
Captain;  are  they  really  as  good  looking  as  I  have 
heard?" 

"  A  Tahitian  woman,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  would 
be  reckoned  beautiful  even  in  America,  the  skin  being 
fairer  than  that  of  many  a  southern  girl,  and  the  large 
full  eyes  and  rich  hair  having  a  fascination  peculiar  to 
themselves.  The  appearance  of  the  men  is  vigorous  and 
graceful,  they  are  generally  above  the  middle  stature, 
their  countenances  are  open  and  prepossessing,  though 
their  features  are  bold  and  somewhat  prominent.  Their 
complexion  is  olive  or  reddish-brown,  but  there  are  great 
varieties  of  shades.  Their  behavior  is  affable  and 
courteous." 

"  What  is  the  population  of  the  group  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  On  the  Tahiti  or  Georgian  Islands,"  answered  the 
Professor,  "  a  little  more  than  14,000.  On  the  other 
cluster,  something  over  4,000." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Chester,  "  so  great  a  difference  ?  " 

"  The  Tahiti  Islands  are  larger,  you  know,"  rejoined 
the  other. 

"  I  thought  the  two  clusters  were  about  the  same  in 
area." 

"  The  area  of  the  Tahiti  cluster  is  453  square  miles, 
and  that  of  the  other  only  213  square  miles." 

"  Not  quite  half  as  large,  then.  But  I  suppose  there 
are  many  foreigners  on  Tahiti  ?  " 

"More  than  1,000  emigrants,  besides  650  foreign  resi- 
dents, and  between  400  and  500  French  soldiers." 

"  I  have  read  that  tattooing  is  no  longer  practiced 
among  the  natives,"  observed  Eugene. 


374  TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY  ISLANDS. 

"  No,  that  has  gone  by,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  and  the 
native  costume  has  been  altogether  abandoned  for  dresses 
resembling  those  worn  by  civilized  nations." 

"  Do  they  manufacture  their  own  cloth,  as  formerly  ?  " 
asked  Chester. 

"  No,  the  native  manufactures  have  been  entirely  super- 
seded by  imported  goods." 

"  Is  their  trade  wholly  with  France,  as  in  the  case  of 
Martinique  ?  " 

"No,  the  chief  intercourse  is  carried  on  with  San 
Francisco,  Valparaiso,  Sydney,  and  Melbourne ;  and  the 
domestic  exports  of  the  group  consist  principally  of 
arrowroot,  sugar,  cocoanut-oil,  and  pearl  shells." 

"  I  suppose  their  commerce  amounts  to  quite  a  con- 
siderable sum,"  remarked  the  Captain. 

"  The  annual  exports,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  foot 
up  to  about  $1,100,000,  and  the  imports  to  not  far  from 
$700,000." 

"  Papiete,  the  principal  port,"  said  Chester,  "  must  be 
a  fine  place  and  an  important  town." 

"  The  harbor  is  perfect,  I  can  tell  you  that  much,"  said 
the  Captain,  emphatically. 

"  It  is  a  free  port,"  added  the  Professor,  "  except  for 
arms  and  spirits,  and  has  a  dry-dock  for  repairing  vesse1 
government  buildings,  and  a  hospital." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain  ;  "  and  it  supports  two  news' 
papers,  one  in  the  native  language  and  one  in  French." 

"Many  of  the  foreigners,  I  suppose,  reside  in  Papiete?" 
said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  particularly  the  merchants,"  answered  the  Pro- 
fessor. 

"  What  is  the  population  of  the  town  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  At  this  time,  it  must  number  not  far  from  1,000  or 
1,100,"  was  the  reply. 

"  When  the  Spaniards  discovered  the  islands,  I  should 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  375 

have  thought  they  would  have  held  on  to  them,"  said 
Eugene,  after  a  pause. 

"  They  attempted  to  do  so,"  replied  the  Professor ; 
"and  as  late  as  1774,  undertook  to  colonize  Tahiti. 
Captain  Cook  visited  the  group  about  that  time,  and 
again  on  his  last  voyage  in  1777,  when  he  found  a  house 
and  cross,  which  the  Spaniards  had  erected,  carefully 
preserved  by  the  natives.  Eleven  years  passed  after 
this,  during  which  there  was  no  communication  between 
these  islands  and  the  rest  of  the  world,  when  the  Bounty 
arrived  to  procure  plants  of  the  bread-fruit  tree ;  and  her 
sad  yet  interesting  story  you  already  know. 

"Next  came  the  English  missionaries,  in  the  early  part 
of  1797.  For  a  long  time  their  labors  were  seemingly  in 
vain,  till  at  last  Pomare  II.  embraced  Christianity  in 
1815.  He  died  in  1821,  and  during  the  minority  of  his 
son  the  missionaries  acquired  great  influence ;  but  the 
boy  having  died  before  he  attained  manhood,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Queen  Aimata,  or,  as  she  was  better  known, 
Pomare,  the  latter  being  the  surname  of  the  reigning 
family.  From  the  conversion  of  Pomare  II.  the  power 
of  the  Protestant  missionaries  continued  to  increase,  till 
it  became  paramount  in  Tahiti. 

"  Now  the  French  were  looking  with  covetous  eyes  on 
these  islands ;  and  as  an  entering-wedge,  two  priests 
were  sent  to  them  from  the  French  Catholic  missions 
on  the  islands  to  the  east,  to  make  friends  for  their 
government,  and  to  propagate  the  Catholic  faith.  The 
Protestant  missionaries,  of  course,  opposed  this,  and  the 
priests  were  ordered  to  leave ;  but  they  were  obstinate, 
and  absolutely  refused  to  do  so.  They  were  therefore 
seized,  and  conveyed  on  board  a  vessel  about  to  sail  for 
some  distant  port,  with  a  recommendation  to  pursue  their 
calling  on  some  of  the  many  islands  which  as  yet  were 

neither  Protestant  nor  Catholic. 
16 


376  TAHITI,  OR   SOCIETY  ISLANDS. 

"  This  action  must  have  mightily  pleased  the  French 
king  and  his  government,  for  it  afforded  them  the  very 
pretext  they  wanted;  and  in  due  time  the  frigate  Reine 
Blanche,  under  command  of  Admiral  Du  PetiWhouars, 
whom  doubtless  you  will  remember  in  connection  with 
the  Marquesians,  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  Papiete,  and 
demanded  liberty  for 'all  French  subjects,  $2,000  as  the 
expenses  of  the  voyage  to  France  of  the  expelled  priests, 
and  some  $30,000  as  an  indemnity  for  alleged  insults  to 
the  French  flag,  and  threatened  that  unless  his  demands 
were  complied  with  he  would  bombard  the  town. 

"  But  this  was  not  all.  The  arrogant  French  admiral 
insisted  that,  in  addition  to  paying  the  expenses  of  the 
priests  and  the  indemnity  demanded,  the  people  of  Tahiti 
should,  at  their  own  expense,  erect  a  Roman  Catholic 
church  in  every  district  where  they  had  built  one  for 
Protestant  worship. 

"  The  good  queen,  almost  overcome  by  terror,  lest  the 
admiral  should  carry  out  his  cowardly  threat  and  bom- 
bard the  town,  yet  utterly  powerless  to  comply  with  his 
outrageous  demands,  fled  in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
in  a  frail  canoe,  to  the  island  of  Eimeo,  or,  as  it  is  now 
called,  Moorea,  well  knowing  that  no  decisive  action 
could  be  taken  in  her  absence.  Her  most  valued  friend 
and  adviser  at  this  time  was  Mr.  Pritchard,  the  British 
consul.  Du  Petit-Thouars  perceiving  this,  caused  him  to 
be  forcibly  seized  and  imprisoned.  After  being  kept  for 
ten  (Lays  in  solitary  confinement,  he  was,  notwithstanding 
his  most  earnest  protests,  put  on  board  an  English  vessel, 
far  out  at  sea,  and  thus  arbitrarily  conveyed  away  from 
the  islands,  without  a  trial  or  investigation  of  any  kind. 

"  The  British  government,  when  the  matter  was 
brought  to  its  attention,  demanded  an  explanation  of 
France.  The  French  authorities,  having  learned  of 
Mr.  Pritcliard's  influence  with  the  queen,  and  that  their 


TAHITI,  OB  SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  377 

officials  at  Tahiti  could  make  no  headway  until  after  his 
removal,  approved  of  what  had  been  done,  but  promised 
to  pay  a  liberal  indemnity  for  the  British  consul's  false 
imprisonment  and  pecuniary  losses.  But  to  this  day,  so 
I  am  credibly  informed,  Mr.  Pritchard  has  never  received 
one  farthing. 

"  The  shrewd  Englishman  being  out  of  the  way,  the 
French  made  rapid  progress.  There  was  some  fighting, 
or  rather,  skirmishing,  for  a  time,  but  things  were  too 
one-sided,  and  soon  the  queen  and  her  people  were 
obliged  to  submit.  To  be  sure,  nominally  she  remained 
a  queen,  but  in  reality  her  power  was  gone,  and  the 
French  Protectorate  was  firmly  established.  And  now 
the  French  were  masters  of  three  valuable  groups  in 
this  part  of  the  Pacific :  the  Marquesas,  Paumotou,  and 
Tahiti. 

"  Queen  Pomare  died  on  the  17th  of  September,  1877, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  after  a  reign  of  more 
than  half  a  century,  thirty-five  years  of  which  were 
endured  under  the  indignities  of  the  French  Protectorate. 
If  ever  sovereign  was  dearly  loved  by  her  people,  it  was 
this  most  estimable  lady,  and  at  her  death  the  mourning 
throughout  her  little  Tdngdom  was  sincere  and  universal. 
She  was  succeeded  by  her  eldest  son,  Ariiaue,  as  Pomare 
V. —  the  last  king  of  Tahiti. 

"It  had  been  feared  that  at  the  death  of  the  queen 
even  the  semblance  of  the  ancient  rule  would  be  dis- 
pensed with  by  the  French,  and  this  was  thought  the 
more  probable  as  the  queen's  sons,  in  the  matter  of 
sobriety,  had  been  anything  but  exemplary  young  men. 
But  for  some  unexplained  reason,  the  French  thought  it 
best  to  retain  a  figure-head  for  a  while  longer ;  and  so 
Ariiaue,  and  his  beautiful  young  bride,  Marau,  aged 
seventeen,  were  proclaimed  king  and  queen,  with  all 
the  pomp  and  splendor  that  could  be  brought  to  bear  on 
the  occasion. 


378  TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

"The  Legislative  Assembly  received  with  hearty  ac- 
clamations the  decisions  of  their  omnipotent  French 
masters,  who  not  only  proclaimed  Ariiaue  King,  but 
actually  settled  the  succession  for  two  generations  to 
come.  Queen  Marau  being  half  English,  —  the  daughter 
of  an  English  Jew,  married  to  a  chieftainess  of  exalted 
rank  in  Tahiti,. —  any  child  to  which  she  might  give  birth 
was  excluded  from  the  throne  in  favor  of  the  little 
daughter  of  the  King's  brother,  Tamatoa  and  the  lovely 
Moe  —  ex-king  and  queen  of  Raiatea  —  thus  securing  the 
pure  Tahitian  blood-royal.  Failing  issue  of  this  little 
princess,  the  succession  was  secured  to  her  cousin,  a 
bright  and  handsome  boy,  known  as  Hinoi,  son  of  the 
third  royal  brother. 

"  These  decisions  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  Tahiti- 
ans,  who,  though  perfectly  aware  that  all  real  power  had 
been  taken  from  them,  still  valued  its  nominal  possession. 

"  Nearly  three  years  passed ;  everything  had  moved  on 
smoothly,  and  the  young  king's  position  was  apparently 
secure,  when,  all  at  once,  on  a  bright  June  morning  in 
1880,  the  Tahitian  world  was  astounded  by  the  sudden 
announcement  that  the  king  and  the  native  governors 
had  ceded  the  kingdom  to  France",  and  that  very  after- 
noon the  protectorate  Hag  was  hauled  down  and  the  tri- 
color run  up." 

"  Good  gracious ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  what  could 
have  possessed  Pomarc  V.  to  tamely  submit  in  that 
way?" 

"  That  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  inform  you,"  answered 
the  Professor  ;  "  and  T  hardly  think  it  is  known  just  what 
influence  was  brought  to  bear  on  him." 

"I  can  name  one  strong  inducement,  I  think,"  re- 
marked Chester. 

"  Well,  let  '8  hear  it,"  said  his  brother. 

"The  comfortable  sum  of  $1 2,000  a  year,"  returned 


TAHITI,  OB  SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  379 

the  other  quietly  ;  "  to  be  enjoyed  in  peace,  you  under- 
stand. and  in  his  own  fashion." 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  the  Captain  ;  "  and  not  only  that, 
but  free  from  the  incessant  tutelage  which  made  his 
kingly  rank  a  burden,  devoid  of  all  honor." 

"  Exactly,"  assented  Chester. 

"When  was  the  annexation  to  France  formally  pro- 
claimed ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  On  the  24th  of  March,  1881,  at  Papiete,"  answered 
the  Professor  ;  "  and  it  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  most 
brilliant  festival,  such  as  the  light-hearted  Polynesians 
are  ever  ready  to  welcome." 

"  I  suppose  the  French  themselves  —  the  officials,  I 
niean  —  made  a  great  fuss,  and  exerted  themselves  to 
the  utmost  to  have  the  affair  pass  off  with  immense 


"  Yes,  indeed  ;  from  every  ship  in  the  harbor,  and 
every  part  of  the  town  floated  the  tri-color,  which,  being 
freely  distributed,  likewise  adorned  the  lovely  tresses  of 
the  women  and  the  button-holes  of  the  men.  Plenty  of 
gunpowder  was  burned,  and  plenty  of  noise  was  made, 
but  not  too  much  to  please  the  people.  An  imposing 
procession  was  organized,  and  marched  round  the  town, 
headed  by  the  marine  band.  Every  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice was  represented.  There  were  infantry,  artillery, 
and  gendarmes,  together  with  sailors  and  marines  from 
the  fleet.  Oh,  it  was  a  glorious  day  —  for  the  French, 
and  one  they  very  naturally  considered  worthy  to  be 
remembered  for  ever." 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  when  Chester,  rousing 
himself,  suddenly  asked  : 

"  Professor,  can  you  tell  us  anything  about  that  extra- 
ordinary institution  which  formerly  prevailed  among  the 
Tahitians  —  the  Areoi  Society  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  the  Professor,  "  now  you  touch  on  a 
peculiar  subject,  and  one,  too,  I  may  say,  full  of  mystery." 


380  TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

"  But  you  know  something  about  it  ? "  asked  Eugene, 
eagerly. 

"  Not  a  great  deal,  I  fear,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  per- 
haps as  much  as  is  generally  known." 

"  Was  it  a  religious  institution  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  It  is  not  improbable  that  on  its  first  foundation  it 
possessed  something  of  a  religious  character.  This  much 
is  certain,  they  were  worshipers  of  the  god  Oro,  and 
believed  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  in  the  exist- 
ence of  a  heaven  suited  to  their  own  characters." 

"  They  formed  a  single  confraternity  throughout  the 
group,  did  they  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  each  island  furnished  its  own  members." 

"  I  have  heard  the  society  compared  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,"  observed  the  Captain. 

"  Nonsense ! "  exclaimed  the  Professor,  vehemently ; 
"  no  two  institutions  could  be  more  utterly  opposed  than 
those  of  the  order  of  Masonry  and  the  Areoi  Society  — 
the  one  insisting  on  monotheism,  while  the  other  was 
based  on  idolatry ;  the  one  being  a  universal,  and  the 
other  but  a  local  society ;  the  one  inculcating  morality, 
and  the  other  founded  for  the  express  purpose  of  throw- 
ing aside  the  small  relics  of  morality  possessed  by  a 
native  Polynesian." 

"  There  were  a  few  who  left  the  society,  and  afterwards 
told  something  of  its  inner  workings,  were  there  not  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  several  who  were  con- 
verted to  Christianity,  after  they  had  managed  to  shake 
off  the  dread  with  which  they  contemplated  any  refer- 
ence to  the  mysteries  of  their  order,  gave  some  informa- 
tion with  regard  to  it." 

"  Were  their  accounts  trustworthy  ?" 

"No  doubt  they  were;  for  while  they  differed  some- 
what in  details,  they  all  agreed  in  the  main  points." 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS.  381 

"  And  what  do  their  stories  amount  to?"  asked  Eugene. 

"In  the  first  place,"  answered  the  Professor,  "as  I 
have  already  stated,  they  believed  in  the  immortality  of 
the  soul.  They  acknowledged  Oro  as  the  chief  god,  and 
accepted  his  brothers,  Orotetefa  and  Urutetefa,  who  had 
been  made  kings  of  the  Areois  by  Oro,  as  their  tutelar 
gods.  Now  these  two  lived  in  celibacy ;  consequently 
they  had  no  descendants.  On  this  account,  while  they 
did  not  enjoin  celibacy  upon  their  devotees,  they  prohib- 
ited their  having  offspring.  Hence,  one  of  the  stand- 
ing regulations  of  the  society  was  the  murder  of  their 
children. 

"  Those  who  rose  to  high  rank  in  Jbhe  order  were 
believed  after  their  death  to  hold  corresponding  rank  in 
their  heaven,  which  they  called  by  the  name  of  Rohutu 
noanoa,  or  Fragrant  Paradise.  All  those  who  entered 
were  instantly  restored  to  the  full  vigor  and  bloom  of 
youth,  no  matter  what  might  be  their  age  ;  and  in  almost 
every  respect  the  resemblance  between  the  Polynesian 
Rohutu  and  the  Mohammedan  Paradise  is  close  and 
almost  startling." 

"And  what  had  they  to  do  to  gain  this  blessed  and 
fragrant  Paradise  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"Ah!  that  is  the  most  extraordinary  part  of  it," 
answered  the  Professor.  "  Fanatics  of  an  ordinary  turn 
of  mind  believe  that  everlasting  happiness  hereafter  is 
to  be  gained  by  self-denial  and  mortification  of  the  body 
during  the  present  life.  The  Areois,  with  an  almost 
sublime  audacity,  held  precisely  the  opposite  view,  and 
proclaimed  both  by  words  and  deeds  that  a  life  of  eternal 
enjoyment  in  the  world  to  come  was  to  be  obtained  by 
leading  a  life  of  unbridled  license  in  the  present  world. 
In  order  to  carry  out  this  theory  to  the  fullest  extent, 
they  traveled  about  from  one  island  to  another  in  large 
companies,  disseminating  their  peculiar  opinions  wherever 


382  TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

they  went,  and  gaining  fresh  recruits  in  each  island.  On 
one  occasion  Captain  Cook  saw  seventy  canoes  filled 
with  Areois  set  off  on  an  expedition  to  the  different 
islands." 

"  They  were  divided  into  classes  or  degrees,  were  they 
not  ? "  asked  the  Captain. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  there  were,  I  think,  seven 
distinct  classes  among  them,  each  of  which  was  distin- 
guished by  the  kind  or  situation  of  the  tattooing  on  their 
bodies ;  and  in  addition  to  the  regular  classes,  there 
were  a  large  number  of  individuals,  of  both  sexes,  who 
attached  themselves  to  the  fraternity,  prepared  their  focd 
and  their  costumes,  performed  a  variety  of  servile  occu- 
pations, and  attended  them  on  their  journeys,  for  the 
purpose  of  witnessing  their  dances,  or  sharing  in  their 
debaucheries.  These  were  called  Fanaunau,  because  they 
did  not  destroy  their  offspring,  which,  as  I  have  already 
said,  was  indispensable  with  the  regular  members." 

"I  have  seen  it  stated,  somewhere,"  remarked  the 
Captain,  "  that  while  the  Areois  were  addicted  to  every 
kind  of  licentiousness,  and  paid  no  sort  of  regard  to  the 
marital  rights  of  others,  yet  they  wore  excessively  jealous 
of  their  own  wives,  who,  I  believe,  were  also  members  of 
the  society." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  so  jealous  were  they  in 
this  respect,  that  improper  conduct  toward  the  wife  of 
one  of  their  own  number  was  often  punished  with  death. 
This  summary  and  fatal  punishment,  however,  was  not 
confined  to  their  society,  but  was  sometimes  inflicted,  for 
the  same  crime,  among  other  classes  of  the  community." 

"  I  have  an  idea  that  they  were  no  great  favorites  with 
the  king  and  higher  classes,"  said  Eugene. 

"On  the  contrary,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "strange  as 
it  may  seem,  the  institution  was  held  in  the  greatest 
repute  by  them ;  and,  notwithstanding  all  their  vileness 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS.  383 

and  innumerable  crimes,  the  grand  masters,  or  members 
of  the  first  order  were  regarded  as  demi-gods,  and  they 
were  treated  with  a  corresponding  degree  of  veneration 
by  the  common  people." 

"  Then,  of  course,  they  took  the  best  of  care  of  them 
on  their  frequent  visits  ?  " 

"  They  did,  indeed.  Wherever  the  Areois  landed,  they 
proceeded  to  the  nearest  Marae,  and  offered  a  sacrifice  of 
a  sucking  pig  to  the  god  who  presided  over  it,  this  sacri- 
fice being  in  the  first  place  a  thank-offering  to  the  god 
for  their  safe  landing,  and  in  the  next  a  notification  that 
they  wanted  pigs  for  themselves.  Partly,  no  doubt,  on 
account  of  the  terror  inspired  by  their  numbers  and 
unanimity,  but  more  particularly  on  account  of  the  feel- 
ing I  have  mentioned,  and  of  the  spread  of  their  very 
intelligible  doctrines,  the  invitation  always  met  with  an 
immediate  response,  and  great  numbers  of  pigs,  together 
with  vegetable-food,  cloth,  kava,  and  other  luxuries  were 
produced.  A  great  feast  was  then  held,  during  which 
the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  society  were  carried  out  to 
the  full,  and  a  scene  ensued  such  as  cannot  be  described." 

"  From  what  source  did  they  recruit  their  ranks  main- 
ly ?  "  asked  Chester ;  ".was  the  fraternity  confined  to  any 
particular  grade  in  society  ?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  it  was  composed  of  individuals 
from  every  class." 

"I  suppose  the  admission  of  a  new  member  was 
attended  with  a  variety  of  singular  ceremonies  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  a  protracted  novitiate  followed.  It  was 
/inly  by  progressive  advancement  that  any  were  admitted 
to  the  higher  degrees  and  distinctions." 

"  Still,    taking    everything     into     consideration,    the 
natural  inclinations  of  the  people,  and  the  many  privi- 
leges conceded  to  the  Areois,  I  should  think  they  must 
have  been  overcrowded  with  members." 
J6»- 


384  TAHITI,   OB   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

"  There  were  enough  of  them  no  doubt,  —  in  fact,  far  too 
many ;  but  it  was  generally  imagined  that  those  who 
became  Areois  were  inspired  to  do  so  by  the  gods. 
Therefore  when  anyone  wished  to  be  admitted  to  the 
society,  he  repaired  to  some  public  exhibition  they  were 
giving,  in  an  apparent  state  of  mental  aberration,  wear- 
ing a  girdle  of  yellow  plantain  or  ti  leaves  round  his 
loins ;  his  face  stained  with  rnati,  or  scarlet  dye ;  his 
brow  decorated  with  plaited  cocoanut  leaves ;  his  hair 
perfumed  with  powerfully  scented  oil,  and  ornamented 
with  a  profusion  of  fragrant  flowers.  Thus  arrayed,  he 
rushed  through  the  assembled  crowd,  and  leaping  into 
the  circle  of  Areois,  joined  with  seeming  frantic  wildncss 
in  the  dance.  This  was  considered  an  indication  of  his 
desire  to  become  a  member  of  the  order ;  and,  if  approved, 
he  was  appointed  to  wait  upon  the  avce  part.  After  a 
considerable  time,  during  which  he  was  closely  watched, 
if  it  was  thought  he  would  make  a  desirable  member,  and 
if  he  still  persisted  in  his  purpose,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  first  or  lowest  degree,  with  all  the  usual  rites  and 
observances." 

"  But  like  all  good  men,  favored  of  the  gods,  these 
precious  Areois  had  to  die,  at  last,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Ye&,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  and  when  death 
occurred  naturally,  a  number  of  most  singular  ceremo- 
nies were  performed.  But  as  the  existence  of  children 
born  among  them  could  not  be  recognized,  so,  by  a  simi- 
lar convenient  fiction,  all  Areois  were  presumed  to  be  in 
the  full  vigor  of  human  life.  Consequently,  the  possi- 
bility of  age  and  debility  was  ignored,  and  in  order  to 
prove  the  non-existence  of  either  senility  or  sickness,  any 
old  or  feeble  person  was  quietly  buried  alive.  The  vic- 
tims were  never  apprised  of  their  fate,  as  was  the  case  in 
Fiji,  but  a  grave  being  dug  surreptitiously,  .the  infirm 
person  was  decoyed  to  it  on  some  pretense  or  other, 


TAHITI,  OR  SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  385 

dropped  into  it,  the  earth  flung  on  him,  and  stamped 
down  almost  before  he  had  time  for  a  remonstrance. 

"  Sometimes,  when  provisions  did  not  come  in  to  them 
as  abundantly  as  they  desired,  they  had  a  strange  way  of 
supplying  themselves.  A  party  of  them,  led  by  a  grand 
master,  perhaps,  whose  rank  was  known  by  the  marks 
tattooed  on  his  body,  would  visit  a  house  where  they  saw 
evidence  of  prosperity,  and  look  about  until  they  came 
upon  a  little  boy  —  an  easy  matter  enough  in  Tahiti  in 
those  days.  They  would  then  take  the  child,  and  go 
through  various  ceremonies,  by  which  they  represented 
him  as  having  been  raised  to  kingly  rank.  They  would 
then  simulate  the  utmost  deference  to  the  new  king, 
place  him  on  ,an  elevated  seat,  prostrate  themselves 
before  him,  and  appeal  to  him  as  though  he  really  held 
the  exalted  position.  '  We  have  come  to  the  king's  abode, 
poor,  naked,  and  hungry.  We  need  raiment  —  give  us 
that  piece  of  cloth.  We  need  food  —  give  us  that  pig.' 
Accordingly,  the  father  of  the  child  was  forced  to  fall  in 
with  their  humor,  and,  in  return  for  the  honor  conferred 
upon  his  house,  to  give  them  whatever  they  demanded." 

"  They  must  have  been  a  fearful  burden  to  the  commu- 
nity," stiid  the  Captain. 

"  They  were,  indeed,"  assented  the  Professor. 

"  But,"  said  Chester,  thoughtfully,  "  they  must  have 
had  some  redeeming  quality ;  it  is  impossible  to  believe 
otherwise." 

"  The  only  redeeming  point  I  know  of,"  rejoined  the 
Professor,  "  was  their  value  in  keeping  up  the  old  histori- 
cal traditions  of  the  islands.  The  food  and  clothing 
which  they  obtained  from  the  various  people  were  paid 
for  by  the  dramatic  performances  and  recitations  which 
they  gave,  and  which,  debased  as  they  were  by  the  licen- 
tious element  which  permeated  every  section  of  the 
society,  performed  toward  their  local  history  the  same 


386  TAHITI,   OB   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

part  which  the  ancient  mysteries  did  toward  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  The  Tahitians  being  unable  to  read  or 
write,  and  having  no  mode  of  recording  historical  events 
except  by  tradition,  these  performances  rendered,  as  it 
were,  history  visible,  and  enacted  before  the  eyes  of  the 
illiterate  people  the  deeds  of  days  long  gone  by." 

"  But,  Professor,"  said  Chester,  "  was  this  society  pecul- 
iar to  the  Tahitian  Islands  ? " 

"  Probably  not.  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  however,  that 
it  was  not  so  wide-spread  as  some  writers  have  thought. 
Certainly  no  traces  of  it  are  to  be  found  among  our  friends 
the  Marquesans,  or  the  Hawaiians ;  but  the  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries found  an  institution  bearing  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  it  among  the  natives  of  the  Caroline  and  Ladrone 
Islands.  They  were  there  called  uritoy  ;  which,  omitting 
the  t,  -would  not  be  much  unlike  areoi ;  a  greater  differ- 
ence, as  I  can  readily  show  you,  exists  in  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  words  known  to  be  radically  the  same.  But  one 
thing  is  quite  certain,  if  this  remarkable  institution  was 
not  confined  to  the  Tahitian  and  neighboring  islands,  it 
appears  to  have  been  patronized  and  carried  to  a  greater 
extent  there  than  anywhere  else  in  the  Pacific." 

"  I  have  seen  it  stated,  Professor,"  said  Eugena,  "  that 
the  Tahitiaus  were  in  the  habit  of  making  human  sacri- 
fices. Did  they  do  this  to  any  great  extent?" 

"  Not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  some  of  their  neighbors," 
was  the  reply  ;  "  but  far  too  much  blood  was  shed  in  this 
way,  I  am  sorry  to  say." 

"  What  were  the  occasions  for  the  sacrifices  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"They  were  various,"  returned  the  Professor;  "for 
instance,  at  the  funerals  of  high  chiefs  and  other  great 
men,  human  sacrifices  were  often  made,  and  near  the 
large  whattas,  or  platforms,  on  which  the  pigs  and  other 
provisions  were  offered,  there  were  always  numbers  of 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY   ISLANDS.  387 

human  skulls,  each  a  relic  of  a  human  sacrifice.  Then, 
in  times  of  war,  the  captured  enemies  were  offered  to  the 
idols.  There  was  a  sort  of  excuse  for  this  act,  it  might 
seem,  the  idea  being  that,  as  the  captives  had  sought  the 
lives  of  the  worshipers  of  the  gods,  their  own  lives  should 
be  sacrificed  to  them  as  an  atonement  for  their  presump- 
tion. There  were,  however,  other  occasions  on  which 
such  sacrifices  were  offered,  and  where  the  victim  was 
selected  by  the  chief  and  killed  in  cold  blood.  If,  for 
example,  the  king  or  principal  chief  of  an  island  or  dis- 
trict had  decided  on  war  against  another,  he  generally 
sacrificed  a  man  to  his  god  in  order  to  bespeak  his  aid 
against  the  enemy.  Captain  Cook  mentions  such  a  case. 
It  appears  that  Towha,  the  chief  of  his  district,  intended 
to  make  war  against  the  island  of  Eimeo  or  Moorea,  and 
sent  a  message  to  his  friend  and  relative  Otoo  that  he 
had  sacrificed  a  man,  and  wished  for  his  presence  when 
the  body  was  offered  at  the  great  niarae  of  Attahooroo. 
Cook  asked  permission  to  accompany  Otoo,  and  they  set 
out  together,  taking  with  them  a  half-starved  dog,  which 
was  to  form  part  of  the  sacrifice. 

"  The  victim  had  been  killed  unawares,  by  a  blow  from 
a  stone,  as  was  their  usual  custom,  and  when  Otoo  and 
his  guest  arrived  at  the  landing  place,  they  found  the 
body  already  there,  lying  in  a  canoe  which  was  half  in 
and  half  out  of  the  water,  just  in  front  of  the  marae. 
They  halted  at  some  little  distance,  while  the  first  part 
of  the  ceremonies  were  being  performed. 

"  After  many  prayers  and  mumblings,  and  the  use  of 
quantities  of  red  feathers  and  plantain  leaves,  some  of 
which  were  thrown  into  the  canoe,  the  body  was  taken 
out  and  laid  upon  the  beach,  with  the  feet  to  the  sea. 
The  priests  placed  themselves  around  it,  some  sitting  and 
others  standing ;  and  one  or  more  of  them  repeated  sen- 
tences for  about  ten  minutes.  The  dead  body  was  then 


388 


TAHITI,    OR    SOCIETY    ISLANDS. 


uncovered  by  removing  the  leaves  and  branches  which 
had  been  thrown  over  it,  and  laid  in  a  parallel  direction 
along  the  seashore. 


"  One  of  the.  priests  then,  standing  at  the  feet,  muttered 
a  long  prayer,  in  which  he  was  at  times  joined  by  the 
others,  each  holding  in  his  hand  a  tuft  of  red  feathers, 


TAHITI,   OR   SOCIETY  ISLANDS.  389 

In  the  course  of  this  prayer  a  quantity  of  hair  was  pulled 
from  the  head  of  the  corpse,  and  the  left  eye  was  taken 
out.  These,  after  being  presented  to  Otoo,  were,  together 
with  a  tuft  of  feathers,  given  to  the  priests. 

"  The  body  was  then  carried  a  short  distance,  with  the 
head  toward  the  marae,  and  laid  under  a  tree,  near  which 
were  fixed  three  thin  pieces  of  wood,  rudely  carved. 
Two  bundles  of  cloth  were  laid  on  a  part  of  the  marae, 
and  tufts  of  red  feathers  were  placed  at  the  feet  of  the 
corpse,  round  which  the  priests  took  their  stations ;  all 
were  then  allowed  to  go  as  near  as  they  pleased. 

"  The  chief-priest,  who  sat  at  a  short  distance,  then 
spoke  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  but  with  different  tones 
and  gestures ;  so  that  he  seemed  often  to  expostulate 
with  the  dead  man  —  to  whom  he  constantly  addressed 
himself  —  and  of  whom  he  sometimes  asked  questions, 
seemingly  with  regard  to  the  propriety  of  his  having 
been  killed.  At  other  times  he  made  demands,  as  if 
the  deceased  now  had  divine  power  himself,  or  interest 
with  the  divinity,  and  urged  him  to  deliver  Eimco,  Ma- 
heine  its  chief,  the  hogs,  women,  and  other  good  things 
of  the  island,  into  their  hands,  —  which,  indeed,  was  the 
express  intention  of  the  sacrifice.  He  then  chanted  a 
long  prayer,  in  a  whining,  melancholy  tone,  accompanied 
by  two  other  priests,  and  in  which  several  chiefs  joined. 
In  the  course  of  this  prayer  more  hair  was  plucked  by  a 
priest  from  the  head  of  the  corpse,  and  laid  upon  one  of 
the  bundles.  After  this  there  was  more  praying  and 
whining,  and  then  all  the  tufts  of  feathers  were  laid  upon 
the  bundles  of  cloth,  which  closed  the  ceremony  at  this 
place. 

"  The  body  was  next  carried  up  to  the  most  conspicu- 
ous part  of  the  marae,  with  the  feathers,  the  two  bundles 
of  cloth,  and  two  drums,  which  beat  slowly.  The  feathers 
and  bundles  were  laid  against  a  pile  of  stones,  and  the 
corpse  at  the  foot  of  them.  The  priests  having  again 


390  TAHITI,   OB   SOCIETY   ISLANDS. 

seated  themselves  round  it,  renewed  their  prayers,  while- 
some  of  the  attendants  dug  a  hole  about  two  feet  deep, 
into  which  they  threw  the  victim,  and  covered  him  over 
with  earth  and  stones. 

"  Meantime,  a  fire  having  been  made,  the  half-starved 
dog  was  produced,  killed,  and  offered  as  a  sacrifice. 
Then  there  were  more  prayers,  more  whining,  more 
feathers  and  plantain  leaves  used,  and  more  drum  beat- 
ing ;  and  then  the  ceremonies  were  over  for  the  day. 

"  The  next  morning  the  ceremonies  were  resumed ; 
several  pigs  and  dogs  were  killed,  gifts  were  laid  upon 
the  movable  house  in  which  the  atua  was  carried  about, 
and  a  young  plantain  tree  was  plucked  up  and  laid  at 
the  feet  of  the  king.  The  mysterious  bundles  of  cloth 
which  had  been  laid  on  the  marae  were  then  unrolled, 
and  out  of  one  was  taken  the  sacrct  maro,  or  royal  girdle, 
and  out  of  the  other  the  idol  to  whom  the  sacrifices  had 
been  made.  Another  hog  was  then  killed,  and  the  en- 
trails carefully  inspected ;  and  the  ceremony  ended  with 
rolling  up  the  atua,  together  with  a  number  of  scarlet 
feathers,  in  the  bundle  of  cloth  from  which  it  had  been 
taken." 

"  Strange  that  men,  even  savages,  could  ever  have  been 
so  foolish,  and  so  cruel,"  commented  Eugene. 

"  The  only  redeeming  point  about  these  sacrifices," 
said  the  Professor,  "  was,  that  the  victim  was  quite  un- 
conscious of  his  fate.  He  was  struck  to  the  ground 
suddenly  by  an  assassin  who  came  stealthily  upon  him, 
and  never  felt  the  real  bitterness  of  death ;  namely,  the 
dread  of  the  coming  fate." 

"All  very  well,  I  suppose,  as  a  redeeming  point,"  mut- 
tered Eugene  ;  "  but  1  'in  glad  they  do  n't  do  that  sort  of 
thing  in  Tahiti  now." 

"  So  are  we  all,"  smiled  the  Professor,  as  he  started  to 
his  leet,  "And  now,  1  think,  we  have  had  enough  of 
Tahiti  and  the  Tahitians  for  to-day." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
TAHITI  — SAVAGE  ISLAND. 

A  FEW  days  later,  while  our  friends  were  still 
lingering  at  the  breakfast  table,  Mr.  Morgan 
entered  the  saloon,  and  quietly  said : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  have  something  to  show  you.  Please 
come  on  deck." 

Eugene  immediately  started  to  his  feet  and  hurried 
toward  the  companion-way.  The  others  followed,  and 
soon  all  were  on  deck. 

"There  !"  exclaimed  the  mate,  pointing  to  an  object 
looming  before  them  on  the  starboard  quarter,  "  what  do 
you  think  of  that?" 

"An  island!"  cried  Eugene;  "is  it  Tahiti?" 

"  No,"  rejoined  Mr.  Morgan,  "  it  is  Moorea  or  Eimeo ; 
but  you  can  plainly  see  Tahiti  off  the  port  quarter." 

No  one  turned  in  that  direction.  All  gazed  with  rapt 
attention  on  the  seemingly  growing  island,  off  to  the 
right. 

The  picture  it  presented  was  indeed  wonderfully,  weird- 
ly grand.  Its  lofty  mountain  range,  its  cloud-capped 
peaks — huge  basaltic  pinnacles  of  most  fantastic  shape 
— towering  from  out  the  sea  of  billowy  white  clouds 
which  drifted  around  those  blackened  crags,  while  below 
the  cloud  canopy  lay  deep  ravines,  smothered  in  densest 
foliage,  extending  right  down  to  the  gray,  restless  sea, 
which  broke  in  thunder  on  the  reef.  No  wonder  they 
were  fascinated. 

But  soon  the  picture  began  to  recede,  and  Tahiti  grew 
before  them  on  the  other  quarter.  With  what  feelings 

(391) 


392  TAHITI. 

they  approached  this  interesting  isle,  after  all  they  had 
learned  of  its  beauty  and  history,  the  reader  can  judge. 

In  due  time,  having  passed  by  a  narrow  opening  through 
the  barrier-reef,  they  left  the  great  tossing  waves  outside, 
and  found  themselves  in  the  calm  harbor,  where  they 
speedily  came  to  anchor.  There  were  a  number  of  ves- 
sels in  the  port,  including  a  French  man-of-war,  a  Chilian 
bark,  a  British  ship,  and  three  American  crafts,  but  the 
Rover  was  not  among  them. 

Gazing  with  interest  toward  the  land,  they  beheld  fine 
massive  mountains  rising  from  a  great  gorge  beyond  the 
town  of  Papiete  —  an  attractive  little  place,  with  houses 
all  smothered  in  foliage,  lovely  to  look  upon,  being  chiefly 
hibiscus  and  bread-fruit. 

But  the  captain  and  his  impatient  passengers  lost  no 
time  in  getting  ashore ;  and  naturally,  the  first  person 
they  sought  out  was  the  American  consul.  He  gave  them 
a  cordial  reception,  and  at  once  invited  them  to  remain  to 
dinner. 

"Tell  us  first,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  eagerly,  "if 
you  know  anything  about  the  Rover,  an  American  built 
schooner,  owned  and  commanded  by  a  man  calling  him- 
self Thompson." 

The  consul  reflected  for  a  moment,  and  then  said : 

"  I  have  no  direct  knowledge  of  the  craft,  or  the  man 
you  mention ;  but  if  you  will  stay  with  me,  I  think  I  can 
introduce  you  to  a  gentleman  who  can  tell  you  something 
about  them." 

"  And  who  may  that  be?"  asked  Eugene,  quickly. 

"  A  Connecticut  Yankee,  Captain  Joseph  Beach  of  the 
Manttfield.  He  brought  out  Waterbury  watches,  sewing- 
machines,  telephones,  and  Yankee  notions  generally ;  and 
is  taking  in  a  cargo  of  arrowroot,  cocoanut  oil,  pearl- 
oyster  shells,  and  a  little  sugar  and  coffee." 

"  What!  and  can  lie  make  such  a  voyage  pay?"  asked 
Chester  in  surprise. 


TAHITI.  393 

"  Pay !  yes  indeed,"  replied  the  consul ;  but,  mind  you, 
he  makes  a  regular  trading  voyage  of  it,  and  this  is  n't 
the  only  group  he  visits,  by  any  means." 

"Ah !  I  see  now./'  caid  the  Captain,  "  he  has  run  across 
our  man  among  the  Marquesas,  or  the  Paumotou's  or 
some  of  the  islands  to  tho  north  of  us." 

"  Most  likely,"  assented  the  consul ;  "  but  you  will 
know  all  about  it  at  dinner  time."  Then  suddenly :  "  Do 
you  make  a  long  stop  at  Tahiti  ?  " 

"  That  depends  altogether  on  the  news  we  hear  of  the 
Rover"  answered  the  Captain. 

"  Ah !  I  hope  you  will  hear  the  right  kind  of  news, 
then,  —  the  news  that  will  keep  you  here,  I  mean." 

"You  are  very  kind,"  said  the  Captain;  "but  why 
particularly  ?  " 

"  Because,  in  that  case,  you  can  join  a  little  party  that 
is  about  to  set  out  on  a  tour  of  the  island." 

"  You  do  n't  say  so,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  enthusiastically. 

"  Yes.  And  it  is  a  rare  chance,  I  can  tell  you,"  pur- 
sued the  consul.  "  A  high  French  official,  Colonel  Moliere, 
is  to  be  of  the  party,  as  well  as  Captain  Beech,  who,  be- 
tween ourselves,  I  fancy,  adds  somewhat  to  the  Colonel's 
income.  Then  there  will  be  a  native  chief,  nominally  on 
the  Governor's  staff,  along,  and  some  others,  including 
several  ladies,  and  myself.  I  tell  you,  my  friends,  under 
no  other  circumstances  could  you  see  either  the  country  or 
the  people  to  such  advantage." 

"I,  for  one,  appreciate  that  fact,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Eugene  quickly. 

"  So  do  we  all,  I  think,"  said  the  Captain  ;  "  and  if  it 
does  n't  prove  to  be  inconsistent  with  the  main  purpose 
of  the  voyage,  I  should  be  glad  to  join  the  party." 

"  So  should  we  all,"  added  the  Professor,  warmly. 

"  Well,  my  friends,  we  will  hope  for  the  best,"  said  the 


394  TAHITI. 

consul,  cheerfully.  "  And  now,  let  us  join  the  ladies," 
and  he  led  the  way  to  the  parlor. 

Here  they  were  presented  to  Mrs.  Hamilton,  the  con- 
sul's wife,  Mrs.  and  Miss  Kilbourn,  her  sister  and  niece, 
and  to  Mrs.  Beach,  the  wife  of  the  Captain,  who  had 
been  spending  a  day  or  two  at  the  consulate.  They  were 
all  attractive  American  ladies,  but  the  last  named  was  a 
marvel  of  womanly  grace  and  beauty;  and  the  gentle- 
men from  the  Albatross  were  at  once  strongly  prepossessed 
in  her  favor. 

Some  time  was  now  passed  in  agreeable  conversation, 
when,  at  length,  the  commander  of  the  Mansfield  was 
announced.  He  was  a  man  of  about  the  middle  height, 
sparely  built,  of  light  complexion,  full  beard  and  mus- 
tache, and  what  is  rather  remarkable  in  a  sea-faring  man, 
quite  near-sighted. 

"All!  Captain,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Hamilton,  starting 
toward  him ;  "  we  hare  been  waiting  quite  impatiently 
for  you." 

"  Waiting  for  me  ? "  repeated  the  new-comer,  as  he 
adjusted  his  glasses,  "  it  is  not  dinner-time  yet."* 

"  Oh,  no,  the  dinner  is  all  right,"  said  the  consul ;  "  but 
I  have  several  friends  here  who  are  anxious  to  make 
your  acquaintance,  —  friends  from  your  part  of  the 
world,  too,  if  I  am  not  mistaken.  This  way,  Captain. 
Professor  Singleton,  whose  name  must  be  familiar  to  you, 
Mr.  Chester  Pierpoint,  of  good  old  New  England  stock, 
Mr.  Eugene  Pierpoint,  his  brother,  and  Captain  James 
Bradford,  of  the  Albatross" 

"  All ! "  exclaimed  the  new  comer,  "the  beautiful  steam 
yacht  that  came  in  two  or  three  hours  ago.  Glad  to  know 
you,  gentlemen.  Captain,  I  am  delighted  to  meet  you.  A 
pretty  craft,  indeed,  that  of  yours." 

"  They  don't  make  them  any  better,"  said  the  com- 
mander of  the  AlbatrosSj  with  pardonable  pride. 


TAHITI.  395 

"  I  '11  swear  to  that,  without  having  set  foot  on  her 
deck,"  returned  Captain  Beach.  Then  abruptly  :  "  How 
long  do  you  remain  in  port  ?  " 

"  That  depends  somewhat  on  you,  I  think." 

"On  me?" 

"  On  the  information  we  hop©  to  obtain  from  you," 
explained  Captain  Bradford. 

"  What  information,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  "  asked  the 
other. 

"  You  have  fallen  in  with  the  schooner  Rover,  recently  ?  " 

"  The  Rover ;  Thompson  master ;  I  remember." 

"  Where  was  she  when  you  came  across  her  ?  " 

"  Off  the  Scilly  Islands.  I  was  bound  for  Raiatea,  and 
the  schooner  for  Aitutaki." 

"  Aitutaki  ?  "  repeated  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  one  of  the  Hervey  group,  you  know." 

"  Ah,  yes,  Hervey  or  Cook's  Islands,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor. 

"  Exactly,"  assented  Captain  Beach. 

"  And  when  was  this  ? "  asked  the  commander  of  the 
Albatross. 

"  Only  a  week  or  so  ago,"  was  the  reply. 

"  And  from  Aitutaki  he  was  bound  where  ?  " 

"  To  Raratonga,  and  Rurutu,  of  the  Australs,  then  he 
was  coming  here." 

"  And  that  would  bring  him  here  about  when  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

Captain  Beach  considered. 

"  In  eight  or  ten  days,"  he  said  at  last. 

"  Eight  or  ten  days  !  "  exclaimed  Eugene,  in  a  tone  of 
relief. 

"  Ah  !  but  will  he  come  ?  "  asked  Chester,  doubtfully. 

"  Will  he  come  ?  "  repeated  Captain  Beach.  "  Why,  of 
course  he  will.  I  brought  certain  goods  here  for  him, 
and  left  them  in  the  hands  of  his  agents.  I  also  ordered 
supplies  to  be  in  readiness  for  him  here.  I  tell  you  he 


396  TAHITI. 

will  be  at  Papiete  in  just  about  ten  days,  possibly  a  day 
or  two  earlier." 

"Then  he  Avon't  get  here  inside  of  a  week?"  said 
Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"Not  an  hour  short  of  eight  days,  sir;  my  word 
for  it." 

"When  does  your  party  start,  Mr.  Hamilton?"  asked 
Chester,  turning  to  the  consul. 

"  To-morrow  ;  —  is  n't  it  to-morrow,  Captain  ?  " 

"  What!  will  these  gentlemen  go  with  us  ?"  exclaimed 
Captain  Beach,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction. 

"  I  think  we  will,"  smiled  the  Professor,  "  if  you  will 
kindly  accept  of  our  company." 

"  Accept  of  your  company  ?  well,  I  should  say  so ! " 

"  Then,  if  the  tour  will  not  last  longer  than  a  week  — '' 

"  We  shall  be  back  in  Papiete  this  day  week,  that  you 
may  count  on,"  interrupted  Captain  Beach. 

"  Then  we  will  go  with  you,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Good  !  you'll  not  regret  it." 

"  We  feel  sure  of  that  in  advance,"  said  Eugene, 
earnestly. 

"  You  don't  know  how  much  satisfaction  your  decision 
gives  me,"  began  the  consul.  "  Really,  I  — 

"  Dinner  is  served." 

It  was  a  discreet  looking  French  servant  who  made  the 
announcement ;  and  Mr.  Hamilton,  cutting  himself  short, 
marshaled  his  goodly  company  to  the  dining-room. 

During  the  progress  of  the  meal,  Captain  Beach  once 
more  alluded  to  the  AlbatroxH,  and  with  evident  pleasure, 
dwelt  on  her  many  fine  points.  Her  commander,  much 
flattered  by  his  praise,  invited  the  whole  company  off  to 
visit  her  and  to  take  tea  on  board.  The  invitation  was 
eagerly  accepted,  and  soon  after  dinner  the  party  repaired 
to  the  yacht,  where  they  spent  a  most  delightful  evening. 

The  next  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful,  even  for 


TAHITI.  397 

Tahiti ;  and  as  it  had  been  decided  that  they  should  make 
an  early  start,  the  party  from  the  Albatross  was  on  shore 
very  soon  after  daylight.  But  they  were  obliged  to  pos- 
sess their  souls  with  patience  for  a  time,  for  the  all-impor- 
tant French  official  had  not  yet  breakfasted,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  begin  the  journey  without  him.  He  did 
not  keep  them  long  waiting,  however,  and  soon  after 
seven  o'clock  they  were  off. 

There  were  all  the  individuals  mentioned  by  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, including  the  ladies  of  his  own  household,  Mrs. 
Beach,  and  one  or  two  friends  of  Colonel  Molie're,  together 
with  the  four  gentlemen  from  the  Albatross,  and  yet, 
though  they  were  so  large  a  party,  everything  during  the 
tour  was  admirably  arranged,  and  there  was  always  good 
accommodation  provided. 

Each  district  possesses  a  large  district  house  - —  a  man- 
eaba,  in  fact  —  built  for  public  purposes.  Like  all  the 
native  buildings,  they  consist  chiefly  of  a  heavy  thatch 
roof,  rounded  at  both  ends,  supported  on  a  mere  frame- 
work of  posts,  and  leaving  the  .sides  all  open,  save  at 
night,  when  they  are  hung  with  cloth  reaching  nearly  to 
the  ground.  Unlike  the  maneabas  of  other  groups,  they 
generally  have  good  wooden  floors,  often  smooth  enough 
to  dance  on.  In  these  public  buildings  their  meals  were 
usually  prepared,  and  their  night-quarters  arranged  ;  and 
Chester  and  Eugene  were  especially  pleased  with  the  beds 
provided  for  them  —  very  large  and  soft,  stuffed  with  the 
silky  tree-cotton ;  liberal  pillows,  real  mosquito-netting 
and  light  curtains  tied  back  with  ribbons,  and  such  taste- 
ful coverlets  of  patchwork — truly  fine  specimens  of  Ta- 
hitian  skill ;  those  most  common  have  crimson  patterns 
on  a  white  ground  ;  the  designs  are  highly  effective.  The 
native  women  pride  themselves  on  their  snowy  linen  and 
downy  pillows  —  one  good  thing  they  have  learned  of  the 
foreigners. 


398  TAHITI. 

The  island  is  divided  into  twenty  districts,  and  it  was 
arranged  they  should  visit  at  least  three  each  day,  and 
when  it  was  possible,  four,  thus  bringing  them  back  to 
their  starting  point  within  the  week,  without  encroaching 
on  the  Sabbath.  They  were  to  start  each  morning,  not 
later  than  seven  o'clock,  and  drive  seven  or  eight  miles 
to  the  central  village  of  the  next  district  and  take  posses- 
sion of  the  maneaba,  where  they  would  breakfast,  then, 
after  a  stroll,  to  see  the  sights  in  the  neighborhood,  while 
Colonel  Moliere  and  Captain  Beach  were  looking  after  their 
important  business  interests,  they  were  to  drive  on  to  the 
next  district  and  lunch,  and  at  the  third  halting-place 
they  were  to  take  the  principal  meal  of  the  day,  and 
usually  pass  the  night. 

On  the  first  day  Colonel  Molie*re,  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Beach,  and  Captain  Bradford  occupied  the  leading  car- 
riage ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton,  Professor  Singleton,  and 
Tana,  the  native  chief,  the  second ;  Mrs.  and  Miss  Kil- 
bourn,  and  Chester  and  his  brother  the  third,  and  other 
members  of  the  party  filled  two  or  three  more,  while  a 
few  preferred  riding,  and  were  mounted  on  very  fair 
specimens  of  island  horseflesh. 

They  'drove  through  sections  of  the  country  which 
seemed  like  one  vast  orchard  of  mango,  bread-fruit, 
banana,  faes,  large  orange  trees,  lemons,  guavas,  citrons, 
papaws,  vanilla,  coffee,  sugar-cane,  maize,  and  cocoanut 
palms,  together  forming  a  succession  of  the  richest  and 
most  varied  foliage  it  is  possible  to  conceive. 

Sometimes  they  counted  such  few  trees  as  they  noticed 
that  were  not  fruit-boa  ring,  but  even  they  were,  for  the 
most  part,  fragrant  with  blossoms.  Here  and  there  the 
broad  grass  roads  were  edged  with  tall  plantains,  very 
handsome  in  a  dead  calm,  but  too  delicate  to  endure  the 
rough  wooing  of  the  trade  winds,  which  tear  the  huge 
leave  to  ribbons,  and  give  the  roads  an  untidy  appearance. 


TAHITI.  399 

They  halted  at  various  points,  and  about  ten  o'clock 
reached  Punavia,  a  lovely  spot  on  the  seashore,  at  the 
entrance  to  a  beautiful  valley,  above  which  towers  a  grand 
mountain  peak.  A  ruined  French  fort  on  the  shore  and 
two  forts  in  fair  condition  further  up  the  valley,  recalled 
to  Chester  and  Eugene  all  they  had  heard  of  the  days 
when  Tahiti  made  her  brave  but  unavailing  struggle  for 
independence. 

Here  a  meal  was  prepared  for  them  after  the  native 
fashion,  and  the  brothers  met  with  their  first  opportunity 
to  taste  of  raw  fish,  which  is  considered  a  very  great  deli- 
cacy, and  one,  so  Mr.  Hamilton  informed  them,  for  which 
many  foreigners  acquire  a  strong  liking.  Tana,  who  had 
taken  a  great  liking  to  Eugene,  tried  hard  to  teach  him 
this  enjoyment,  but  without  success. 

During  the  meal,  and  often  afterwards  while  they  were 
eating,  the  natives  drew  near  and  favored  them  with 
many  strange  and  beautiful  songs ;  and  sometimes  they 
would  treat  them  to  a  dance,  but  only  the  upa  upa,  no- 
where did  they  see  the  outrageous  dance  of  the  Areois, 
though  they  were  told  that  after  long  years  of  discontinu- 
ance, through  the  influence  of  the  French,  it  had  been 
in  a  measure  revived,  and  though  the  more  respectable 
natives  considered  it  objectionable,  that  a  certain  number 
of  dancers  were  to  be  found  in  every  village.  Their 
position,  however,  Mr.  Hamilton  said,  appeared  to  be 
JIG  higher  than  that  of  second  or  third-rate  actors  in 
America. 

The  young  girls  they  saw  here,  and  in  other  villages, 
were  neatly  and  tastefully  dressed,  in  garments,  without 
exception,  cut  after  the  fashion  of  the  sacks  worn  in  this 
country  a  hundred  or  more  years  ago  —  that  is,  a  yoke 
on  the  shoulders  from  which  the  shirt  falls  to  the  feet 
and  trails  behind.  The  effect,  as  may  be  imagined,  is 
very  easy  and  graceful.  It  would  be  impossible  to  devise 


400 


TAHITI. 


a  cooler  or  more  sensible  dress,  as  it  only  touches  the 
neck  and  shoulders,  and,  very  loosely,  the  arms.  The 
one  under-garment  is  low-necked,  short  sfeeved,  and  of 
such  a  length  as  to  form  a  sweeping  skirt,  thus  combin- 
ing chemise  and  petticoat  in  one  article  of  raiment. 


After  a  halt  of  a  little  more  than  two  hours  they 
resumed  their  drive  over  the  romantic  road  of  firm  green 
turf  which  follows  the  course  of  the  shore,  and  affords 


TAHITI.  401 

at  every  turn  a  living  picture  of  delight.  On  the  one 
hand,  endlessly  varied  foliage,  and  magnificent  green 
hills  towering  in  strange  fantastic  form,  seamed  by  dark 
valley  and  crystal  streams ;  and  on  the  other  side  lay  the 
calm,  glittering  lagoon,  reflecting,  as  in  a  mighty  mirror, 
the  great  masses  of  white  cloud,  and  bounded  by  the  long 
line  of  breakers  flashing  as  they  dashed  on  the  barrier- 
reef.  Beyond  these  lay  outspread  the  vast  Pacific,  its 
deep  and  changing  blue,  dashed  with  white  crests,  telling 
how  briskly  the  winds  blew  outside  ;  and,  far  on  the  hori- 
zon, the  lofty  peaks  of  Eimeo,  the  isle  that  had  so  fascin- 
ated them  the  day  before,  rose  clear  and  beautiful,  robed 
in  ethereal  purple. 

They  halted  for  the  night  at  a  lovely  village,  situated 
on  the  banks  of  a  swiftly-flowing  stream,  whose  clean  and 
comfortable  houses  were  only  divided  from  the  white 
coral  sand  by  a  belt  of  green  turf  and  rows  of  stately 
trees.  The  pride  of  the  village  was  its  maneaba,  or  pub- 
lic house.  Here  they  found  dinner  awaiting  them,  and 
all  sat  down  with  good  appetites.  The  building  was 
decorated  in  Tahitian  style,  with  palm-leaves  and  tree- 
ferns,  and  festoons  of  deep  fringe,  made  of  hibiscus  fiber, 
all  dyed  either  yellow  or  white. 

After  dinner  they  strolled  about,  and  found  enchanting 
bathing-pools  in  some  of  the  many  crystalline  streams,  of 
which  they  crossed  no  less  than  twenty-five  each  day. 
Then  they  found  the  village  girls,  and  induced  them  to 
sing,  while  they  sat  listening,  entranced,  on  the  beautiful 
seashore,  in  the  calm  and  perfect  moonlight. 

On  the  following  morning  they  were  all  astir  at  an 
early  hour,  and  started  immediately  after  a  slight  repast, 
which  was  to  serve  them  till  breakfast-time.  The  wholfc 
village  was  up  to  see  them  off  and  wish  them  god-speed ; 
and  Eugene,  as  a  pretty  girl  addressed  him  forthe  second 

or  third  time,  declared  to  his  brother,  with  much  earnest- 

17 


402  TAHITI. 

ness  and  sincerity,  that  there  was  certainly  a  great  charm 
in  the  liquid  language,  and  in  the  gentle,  affectionate 
manner  of  the  people,  who  seemed. io  be  overflowing  with 
genial  kindness. 

Less  than  two  hours  brought  them  to  the  next  district, 
where  they  breakfasted.  Here,  extensive  cultivation  had 
somewhat  changed  the  appearance  of  wild  nature,  large 
tracts  of  land  having  been  laid  out  for  careful  planting  of 
cotton  and  coffee,  and,  after  all,  the  fields  had  been  aban- 
doned ;  the  crops,  left  to  run  wild,  were  now  rank,  strag- 
gling bushes,  struggling  for  life  with  the  overmastering 
vines,  or  with  the  wild  guava,  which,  having  once  been 
imported  as  a  fruit-tree,  has  now  become  the  scourge  of 
the  planters,  from  the  rapidity  and  tenacity  with  which 
it  spreads  and  takes  possession  of  the  soil.  At  the  same 
time,  as  the  Professor  very  truly  remarked,  a  tree  which 
yields  wholesome  and  abundant  food  for  man  and  beast 
cannot  be  said  to  be  altogether  an  evil. 

"  What  is  it  that  so  interests  you,  my  friend  ? "  asked 
Mr.  Hamilton,  as  he  noticed  a  thoughtful  expression  on 
the  Professor's  face,  as  he  sat  in  the  mancaba  and  gazed 
over  the  surrounding  landscape. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  replied  the  Professor, "  that  it  is  not 
often  civilization  improves  the  picturesque  beauty  of  a 
country ;  but,  assuredly,  the  lovely  hills  and  valleys  of 
Tahiti  and  the  neighboring  isles  have  greatly  gained  in 
richness  by  the  introduction  of  the  fruit-bearing  trees, 
which  now  form  so  important  a  feature  in  the  general 
wealth  of  foliage." 

"  You  are  right,  sir,"  said  the  consul.  "  The  dense 
thickets  of  orange-trees  you  see  on  every  hand  have  all 
grown  from  those  brought  from  Sidney  by  Mr.  Henry, 
one  of  the  early  missionaries." 

"  1  have  heard  as  much,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Mr.  Hamilton;  "  and,  strange  as  it 


TAHITI.  403 

may  seem,  the  most  healthy  trees  are  those  which  have 
grown,  self-sown,  from  the  seed  carelessly  thrown  about 
by  the  natives  when  they  stole  away  to  these  quiet  val- 
leys to  brew  their  orange  rum  in  secret." 

"The  people  are  indebted  to  the  French  for  those 
splendid  trees,  are  they  not  ?  "  asked  the  Professor,  as  he 
indicated  several  large  mango-trees,  whose  mass  of  dark 
foliage  was  a  prominent  feature  on  all  sides. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  consul,  "the  French  intro- 
duced them  about  twenty  years  ago,  and,  I  assure  you, 
they  have  taken  infinite  trouble  to  procure  all  the  very 
best  varieties,  and  have  succeeded  to  perfection." 

"  They  deserve  credit  for  so  much,  then."  , 

"  Yes,  and  for  much  more  besides,"  said  the  consul. 

The  party  was  detained  for  some  two  or  three  hours  at 
this  place,  as  tlie  captain  of  the  Mansfield  end  his  French 
ally  had  certain  important  matters  to  attend  to.  But 
the  other  visitors  were  not  idle ;  the  Professor  and  the 
ladies  strolled  through  the  fragrant  orange  groves,  while 
the  Captain,  Chester,  and  Eugeue  walked  along  the  coast 
till  they  found  a  delightful  bathing  place,  where  a  broad 
river  flows  into  the  sea.  Three  or  four  pretty  girls,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  bore  them  company,  one  of  whom  was 
laden  with  pareos  and  towels ;  the  pareo  being  simply  a 
couple  of  fathoms  of  bright-colored  calico,  which,  knotted 
over  one  shoulder,  forms  an  efficient  and  picturesque 
bathing-gown. 

Their  next  stopping-place  was  Papeooriri,  and  they 
arrived  just  in  time  for  a  magnificent  fish  dinner,  such  as 
they  had  never  tasted  or  even  dreamed  of  in  America  — 
fish  of  all  sorts  and  kinds,  cooked  and  raw,  to  suit  all 
tastes, —  excellent  lobsters  and  crabs,  huge  fresh-water 
pr.'-wns,  delicate  little  oysters,  which  grow  on  the  roots 
and  branches  of  the  mangrove,  which  fringes  some  muddy 
parts  of  the  shore ;  but  most  excellent  of  all  was  another 


404  TAHITI. 

product  of  the  briny  mud,  altogether  new  to  the  party 
from  the  Albatross :  a  hideous,  but  truly  delicious,  white 
cray-fish,  called  by  the  natives  varo,  or  wurrali. 

They  all  registered  a  solemn  vow  never  to  lose  a 
chance  of  a  varo  feast,  and  it  is  but  fair  to  state  that 
they  religiously  kept  the  vow. 

That  night  they  stopped  at  a  village  some  six  miles 
further  on ;  and  the  brothers  having  received  an  invita- 
tion to  sleep  in  a  private  house,  and  anxious  to  improve 
every  opportunity  for  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  country  and  people,  accepted.  The  house  being 
purely  Tahitian,  and  not  built  of  wood,  as  so  many  now 
are,  they  felt  as  though  they  were  cooped  up  in  a  bamboo 
cage,  the  chief  features  of  which  were  extreme  airiness 
and  transparency.  But  having  procured  a  quantity  of 
white  cotton  cloth,  they  lined  the  sides  with  it,  and  so 
screened  themselves  from  the  general  public. 

On  the  following  day  they  crossed  the  ridge  which  con- 
nects the  peninsula  with  the  main  island.  They  drove 
to  one  end  of  it,  ate  there,  then  retraced  the  road  to 
the  isthmus,  as  there  is  no  passable  road  round  the 
further  end.  The  scenery  here  was,  if  possible,  lovelier 
than  on  the  great  isle,  and  they  spent  some  time  strolling 
about  the  shore  and  visiting  the  many  villages  of  bird- 
cage houses  with  kindly  people,  who  seemed  never  weary 
of  showing  them  attentions.  The  houses  were  embow- 
ered in  large-leaved  bananas  and  orange  groves,  and 
were  gay  with  rosy  oleanders  and  crimson  hibiscus. 
The  best  singers  of  Tahiti  were  those  they  heard  on  the 
peninsula. 

The  next  day  was  much  like  those  which  had  preceded 
it,  as  they  made  their  way  round  the  other  side  of  the 
isle,  always  by  the  same  delightfully  romantic  grass  road, 
with  long  hours  of  calm  sunlight,  followed  by  clear 
moonlight.  At  Tiarei  they  were  warmly  welcomed  by 


TAHITI.  405 

Tana's  friends,  and  bountifully  supplied  with  food.  Then, 
after  an  hour's  rest,  they  hastened  on.  A  most  lovely 
drive  along  a  basaltic  shore,  the  road  being  cut  on  the 
face  of  the  cliffs,  brought  them  to  Papenoo,  which  is 
close  to  a  broad,  clear  river,  where,  of  course,  they  bathed, 
then  rambled  in  the  soft  moonlight,  and  sat  on  the  shore, 
where  the  rippling  waves  murmured  on  a  pebbly  beach. 

The  chief  of  the  district  gave  up  one  half  of  his  com- 
paratively large  house  to  Colonel  Molie"re,  who  shared  it 
with  the  brothers,  the  chief  and  his  family  occupying  the 
other  end.  Of  course,  it  was  really  one  large  room,  but 
travelers  in  Polynesia  soon  learn  the  art  of  rigging  up 
curtains,  and  so  improvising  separate  quarters. 

On  the  night  of  their  return  to  Papiete  there  was  a 
grand  ball  at  the  government  house,  which  all  attended 
and  heartily  enjoyed,  and  thus  their  week's  excursion 
was  brought  to  a  close. 

It  was  now  eight  days  since  the  Albatross  had  come  to 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  the  pretty  town,  and  with  the 
exception  of  what  they  had  learned  from  Captain  Beach, 
nothing  whatever  had  been  heard  or  seen  of  the  Hover. 

Three  days  longer  they  waited.  The  brothers,  some- 
times accompanied  by  the  Professor  and  Captain  Brad- 
ford, sometimes  by  Mr.  Hamilton  and  Captain  Beach, 
and  again  by  Jasper  Morgan  or  Seth  Cook,  improved  the 
delay  by  making  short  excursions  into  the  neighboring 
valleys  or  up  the  mountain  sides.  On  the  evening  of  the 
third  day,  when  Morgan  had  been  their  companion,  on 
reaching  the  town,  they  called,  as  usual,  at  the  consulate. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  in  his  office,  and  with  him  were 
Captains  Beach  and  Bradford,  Professor  Singleton,  and 
a  stranger. 

Mr.  Hamilton  turned  to  the  brothers,  as  they  entered. 

"  Ah ! "  he  said,  "  here  are  the  young  men  now,"  and 
as  the  stranger  turned  quickly  toward  them :  "  Gentle- 
men, this  is  Daniel  Kirby,  mate  of  the  Hover" 


406  SAVAGE  ISLAND. 

"  Mate  of  the  Rover  I "  repeated  the  brothers,  in  a 
breath. 

The  stranger  bowed  an  assent. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  consul,  "  no  less  a  personage,  I  assure 
you." 

"  Then  the  schooner  is  in  port  ?  "  said  Eugene  eagerly. 

"  She  came  to  anchor  three  hours  ago,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Is  our  uncle  here  ? "  asked  Chester. 

Mr.  Hamilton  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"  How's  that  ?  "  demanded  Eugene,  turning  quickly  to 
Kirby. 

"  We  left  him  on  Savage  Island,"  said  the  mate.  "  He 
was  n't  well,  and  besides,  by  staying  there  he  could  do  a 
good  thing  buying  up  pearl-oyster  shells." 

"  Then  you  are  to  return  for  him  ? "  said  Chester 
inquiringly. 

"  No ;  I  am  to  meet  him  at  one  of  the  Samoa  Islands, 
or  at  Tonga." 

"  How  soon  ? " 

"  I  shall  sail  for  Upolu  as  soon  as  I  can  discharge  the 
portion  of  my  cargo  I  am  to  leave  here  and  take  in  my 
stores." 

"  Then,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  quickly,  "  you  expect 
the  owner  of  the  Rover  may  be  at  Upolu  about  a  week 
hence." 

"  Yes ;  unless  he  goes  direct  to  Tonga,"  said  the  mate. 

"  How  is  he  to  get  to  either  place  ?" 

"  By  a  small  trading  vessel  now  in  those  waters." 

"  I  see." 

"  Savage  Island,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  after  a  moment's 
silence ;  "  what  kind  of  a  place  is  that  for  a  Christian  to 
be  stopping  at,  I  'd  like  to  know?" 

"A  very  good  place,  indeed,"  said  Captain  Beach,  "if 
he  wants  to  make  a  little  money,  and  get  a  fresh  hand  or 
two  before  the  mast.  I  have  one  of  them  now." 


SAVAGE   ISLAND.  407 

"  You  have  been  there,  then  ? "  asked  Eugene,  with 
interest. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  not  long  since,"  replied  the  Captain. 

"  Then  the  people  are  not  so  savage  as  the  name  of 
their  island  would  seem  to  imply  ?  " 

"  Bother  the  name ;  that  is,  the  one  you  refer  to.  The 
right  name  is  Niue ;  and  the  Niuans  are  about  as  sensible 
a  people  as  any  of  the  islanders  in  the  Pacific." 

"  They  have  wonderfully  improved  in  the  last  fifteen 
or  twenty  years,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"  They  have,  indeed,"  assented  Captain  Beach.  "  They 
have  discarded  their  old  and  bad  habits,  including  the 
playful  one  of  murdering  all  foreigners  who  happen  to 
land  on  their  shores,  and  now  display  a  wonderful  eager- 
ness to  be  taken  as  sailors  on  board  our  ships.  If  they 
are  refused,  they  often  contrive  to  smuggle  themselves  on 
board  without  the  knowledge  of  the  captain  and  crew ; 
and  whereas,  a  few  years  ago  it  was  hardly  possible  to 
induce  a  Niuan  to  venture  on  board  a  ship,  the  difficulty 
now  is,  to  find  a  way  of  keeping  them  out  of  the  vessels." 

"  I  had  no  idea  they  were  such  a  people,"  said  Eugene. 
"  Just  where  does  their  island  lie  ? " 

"  Between  the  Harvey  and  the  Tongan  groups,"  an- 
swered Captain  Beach. 

"  How  did  it  get  the  name  Savage  Island  ?  " 

"  Captain  Cook  so  called  it,  I  am  told,  on  account  of 
the  behavior  of  the  natives,  who  not  only  declined  his 
overtures  of  peace,  but  attacked  him  '  like  so  many  wild 
boars.'" 

"  Why,  what  was  the  matter  with  them  ?  " 

"  That 's  more  than  I  can  tell  you,"  smiled  the  Captain. 

"  Their  ferocity  was  due  to  an  ancient  custom,  to 
which  the  Captain  has  just  alluded,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  I  mean  that  of  putting  to  death  all  strangers  who 
landed  on  their  island,  a  fate  from  which  even  their  own 


408  SAVAGE   ISLAND. 

people  did  not  escape,  if  they  had  been  absent  for  any 
length  of  time.  But  it  was  fear  rather  than  ferocity  that 
was  the  cause  of  this  savage  custom.  They  had  an  idea 
that  their  island  was  naturally  free  from  disease,  and  that 
all  bodily  disorders  were  brought  by  foreigners,  and  they, 
in  consequence,  had  a  law  that  all  foreigners  should  be 
killed  as  soon  as  they  could  be  captured." 

"  And  taking  into  consideration  the  untold  misery  that 
has  been  brought  upon  other  islanders  through  their  con- 
tact with  foreigners,"  said  Eugene,  "  it  seems  to  me  they 
were  not  so  very  far  out  after  all." 

"  There  's  something  in  that,"  exclaimed  Captain  Brad- 
ford. "  I  begin  to  think  with  Captain  Beach,  that  the 
Niuans  are  a  very  sensible  people." 

"  Tell  us  something  more  about  them,  Professor,"  said 
Eugene. 

"  I  have  seen  it  stated,  somewhere,"  returned  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  that  when  Mr.  Williams,  the  missionary,  visited 
the  island,  he  induced  two  boys  to  go  away  with  him  for 
the  purpose  of  being  instructed.  At  first  they  were 
quite  miserable  on  board  the  vessel,  and  howled  inces- 
santly, thinking  that  the  white  men  around  them  were 
cannibals,  and  that  they  were  only  carried  off  to  be 
fattened  and  eaten.  Finding,  however,  that  the  sailors 
were  eating  pork,  and  evinced  no  desire  for  human  flesh, 
they  became  more  contented,  and  seemed  even  pleased 
with  the  prospects  before  them.  They  were  taken  to 
Raietea,  and  having  been  educated  for  teachers,  were 
sent  home  again.  Unfortunately,  soon  after  their  arrival, 
an  epidemic  disease  spread  over  the  island,  and  the  na- 
tives, naturally  attributing  it  to  the  returned  travelers, 
promptly  killed  them  both." 

"  That  was  pretty  hard,"  said  Eugene,  "  considering 
under  what  circumstances  the  poor  fellows  left  the  island 
in  the  first  place." 


SAVAGE   ISLAND.  409 

"It  was  indeed,"  assented  the  Professor;  "and  yet, 
when  not  blinded  by  fear,  even  these  savages  were  capa- 
ble of  showing  some  mercy.  A  ship  was  once  laying  off 
the  island,  bartering  with  the  natives,  when,  just  as  she 
was  getting  under  way,  the  master  threw  one  of  the 
sailors  overboard  among  the  islanders,  who  took  him  on 
shore,  and  held  a  solemn  counsel  as  to  the  course  to  be 
pursued.  Many  were  for  keeping  up  the  old  custom,  and 
killing  him,  but  others  argued  that  the  man  had  not 
landed  of  his  own  free  will,  and  that  he  ought  not  to  be 
liable  to  the  usual  penalty,  even  though  salt  water  was  in 
his  eye  —  this  being  the  mark  of  a  shipwreck.  After  a 
great  deal  of  discussion  they  agreed  to  a  compromise, 
put  him  into  a  canoe,  gave  him  a  quantity  of  bananas 
and  cocoanuts,  towed  him  out  to  sea,  and  set  him  adrift. 
The  man  contrived  to  make  his  way  to  the  shore  again 
unseen,  and,  after  hiding  in  caves  for  some  time,  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  on  board  a  whaler  that  was  passing, 
and  so  escaped." 

"  I  suppose  they  were  all  more  or  less  tattooed  ?  "  said 
Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  returned  Captain  Beach,  quickly, 
"  they  cither  knew  or  cared  nothing  about  it,  but  they 
were  mighty  fond  of  decorating  themselves  with  paint. 
Those  who  found  their  way  on  board  vessels  were  delight- 
ed to  be  adorned  with  streaks  and  spots  of  red  and  green 
paint,  especially  the  latter,  which  was  a  great  novelty  to 
them,  and  for  which  they  were  always  ready  to  pay  a 
good  price. 

"  Are  they  fine  looking  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Not  particularly  so,"  was  the  answer.  "  They  are  of 
moderate  stature,  and,  I  should  say,  rather  under  than 
above  the  middle  height,  thus  forming  a  strong  contrast 
to  the  Marquesans  and  Samoans.  The  natural  color  of 
the  skin  is  a  clear  brown,  and  their  limbs  are  round  and 
well  shaped." 
17* 


410  SAVAGE   ISLAND. 

"  I  suppose  they  dress  much  like  the  other  reclaimed 
Polynesians  ?  "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  master  of  the  Mansfield ;  "  but 
formerly,  I  am  told,  the  men  thought  clothing  quite  need- 
less, and  wore  nothing  but  a  belt  round  the  waist." 

"  That  was  true,  generally  speaking,"  remarked  the 
Professor ;  "  but  some,  however,  wore  a  very  small  apron, 
only  ten  or  twelve  inches  square,  and  this  was  considered 
rather  in  the  light  of  ornament  than  of  dress." 

"  They  are  fond  of  ornaments,  no  doubt,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Captain  Beach.  "  I  have  noticed  that 
sometimes  they  wear  the  hair  very  long,  and  again  very 
short,  and  that  this  is  the  case  with  both  sexes.  It  seems 
they  allow  it  to  grow  to  a  considerable  length,  and  when 
it  is  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  long,  cut  it  off,  and  plait 
it  into  thin  bands  which  are  worn  round  the  waist.  The 
men  prize  these  ornaments  highly,  and  one  ship-master 
thinks  that  the  love-locks  are  exchanged,  and  are  valued 
accordingly.  The  younger  men  do  not  wear  their  beards, 
but  the  elders  suffer  them  to  grow  to  a  great  length,  and 
I  have  seen  them  plaited,  and  adorned  with  pieces  of 
oyster  or  clam  shell.  Then,  too,  they  understand  the  art 
of  coloring  the  hair  a  yellowish  red  by  the  application  of 
lime,  and  I  have  seen  many  heads  of  hair  so  colored." 

"  I  suppose,  for  weapons,  they  had  the  usual  clubs, 
spears,  and  bows  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  and  they  were  well 
and  neatly  made." 

"  They  were  found  of  war,  no  doubt  ?  " 

"  To  a  certain  extent,  yes ;  but  so  far  as  I  have  been 
able  to  learn,  they  were  not  apt  to  let  their  love  of  war- 
fare and  bloodshed  take  them  away  from  their  own 
island.  They  never  attempted  the  conquest  of  the  isles 
around  them ;  what  fighting  they  did  do  was*  mostly 
carried  on  among  themselves." 


SAVAGE   ISLAND.  411 

"  It  seems  a  little  strange  that  in  an  island  only  thirty 
miles  or  so  in  circumference  the  people  could  not  live  in 
peace,"  said  Chester. 

"  True,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  but,  you  see,  in  Niue, 
the  usual  Polynesian  custom  of  dividing  an  island  into 
several  districts  existed,  and  among  these  was  perpetual 
feud." 

"  You  say  the  Niuans  never  attempted  the  conquest  of 
other  islands,"  said  Eugene;  "but  was  their  own  ever 
invaded?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  and  by  the  restless 
and  daring  Tongans,  whom  they  at  length  repulsed  by  an 
ingenious  stratagem.  The  Tongans,  you  must  know, 
were  possessed  of  fai>  better  weapons,  and  were  better 
disciplined  than  the  Niuans,  and  being  equally  coura- 
geous, were  rapidly  completing  the  conquest  of  the 
island,  when  the  natives  took  advantage  of  the  peculiar 
formation  of  their  country,  which  is  exceedingly  rocky, 
and  covered  with  deep  and  narrow  clefts,  the  result  of 
the  upheaval  which  elevated  the  island  above  the  sea. 
Across  one  of  these  the  Niuans  laid  small  branches, 
which  they  covered  with  banana  and  cocoanut  leaves, 
and  then  strewed  over  all  a  slight  covering  of  earth, 
which  they  arranged  so  as  to  look  exactly  like  the  sur- 
rounding soil.  They  then  executed  a  sham  retreat,  and 
slipped  round  to  the  further  side  of  the  chasm,  so  that  the 
Tongans,  flushed  with  victory,  rushed  on  their  retreating 
enemies  with  yells  of  triumph,  and  a  great  many  of  the 
foremost  and  best  warriors  were  hurled  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  cavern.  Before  the  survivors  could  recover 
from  their  surprise,  an  attack  was  made  upon  them  in 
overwhelming  numbers,  and  of  the  whole  Tongan  expe- 
dition not  a  man  escaped  alive." 

"  The  gods  favored  the  right  that  time,"  exclaimed 
Eugene,  "  and  I  suppose  the  victors  made  a  right  royal 
feast  of  their  fallen  foes," 


412  SAVAGE   ISLAND. 

"  There  you  are  wrong,"  rejoined  the  Captain ;  "  and  I 
think  it  is  quite  safe  to  say  the  Niuans  have  never  tasted 
human  flesh.  They  do  not  even  care  for  animal  food  of 
any  kind ;  that  I  can  state  for  a  fact." 

"  But,"  objected  Daniel  Kirby,  "  in  that  case,  what  do 
they  do  with  all  the  pigs  they  raise  ?  I  never  saw  so 
many  on  any  one  island  before." 

"  They  use  them  almost  entirely  to  trade  with,  when 
vessels  visit  them,  contenting  themselves  with  bananas, 
yams,  taro,  and  fish.  I  '11  warrant,  now,  you  yourself 
bought  more  than  one  while  the  Rover  lay  off  the  island." 

"  That 's  so,  I  must  admit,"  assented  the  mate. 

"  I  suppose  they  turn  a  good  many  pigs  into  liquor," 
suggested  Eugene. 

"  Not  many,  I  assure  you,"  was  the  reply.  "  They  seem  to 
have  no  great  fondness  for  liquor ;  have  never  drank  kava, 
and  stand  almost  alone  in  their  non-use  of  tobacco." 

"  Good  for  the  Niuans ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  I  begin 
to  think  they  have  very  few  vices." 

"  Polygamy  is  still  practiced  among  thQin,"  said  the 
Captain,  "  though  it  is  fast  dying  out  under  the  influence 
01  the  missionaries,  who  have  done  another  good  thing 
in  discouraging  infanticide,  which  at  one  time  prevailed 
to  a  fearful  extent.  The  mere  check  which  they  have 
placed  on  this  custom  has  already  raised  the  number  of 
the  population  by  almost  four  hundred  —  a  considerable 
increase  when  the  small  size  of  the  island  is  taken  into 
consideration." 

"  The  missionaries,  I  should  judge,  have  met  with  great 
success  among  them  of  late  years,"  said  Captain  Bradford. 

"  They  have,  indeed,"  returned  the  master  of  the  Mans- 
field; "  but,  you  see,  even  before  they  came,  a  decent  code 
of  laws  was  in  existence,  so  that  the  Niuans  were,  in  reali- 
ty, much  less  savage  than  many  of  their  neighbors,  and 
the  missionaries  had  a  better  ground  to  work  on  than  in 
other  islands  of  more  promising  aspect." 


'  SAVAGE   ISLAND.  413 

*  Their  standard  of  morality  was  much  higher  than  is 
usually  the  case  among  savages,  I  believe  ? "  suggested 
the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  assented  Captain  Beach,  "  infidelity  among 
women  was  uncommon  and  severely  punished.  So  great 
was  their  horror  of  this  crime  that  illegitimate  children 
were  always  thrown  into  the  sea  until  the  missionaries 
taught  the  people  that,  though  the  parents  might  be  liable 
to  punishment,  the  innocent  children  ought  not  to  suffer." 

"  What  was  their  mode  of  punishment?"  asked  Chester. 

"  It  consisted,  generally,  in  deprivation  of  food,"  an- 
swered the  Captain.  "  For  instance,  for  some  offenses, 
the  criminal  was  tied  to  a  post,  and  allowed  no  food 
except  bitter  and  acrid  fruit;  while  for  more  serious 
offenses  he  was  lashed  hand  and  foot  to  a  bamboo  for  a 
considerable  length  of  time,  only  sufficient  food  being 
given  to  save  him  from  actually  dying  of  starvation. 
For  these  punishments,  I  may  remark,  the  missionaries 
have  induced  the  natives  to  substitute  forced  labor  in 
well-sinking,  road-making,  and  other  useful  works." 

"  They  are  born  sailors,  I  should  judge  from  what  you 
have  told  us,"  said  Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes,  and  good  boat-builders,"  returned  the  other  Cap- 
tain. "They  construct  their  canoes  very  neatly,  often 
ornamenting  them  with  devices  in  shells  and  mother-of- 
pearl,  and  they  manage  them  well  in  the  water.  As  a 
rule  they  are  excellent  swimmers ;  but  there  are  some 
families  living  in  the  interior  of  the  island  who,  although 
they  can  be  barely  four  miles  from  the  sea,  have  never 
visited  it,  and  are  greatly  despised  by  their  neighbors 
because  they  can  neither  swim  nor  sail  a  canoe." 

"  Only  four  miles  from  the  sea,  and  yet  never  was  on 
the  shore ! "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  That  beats  anything 
I  ever  heard." 

"  It's  a  fact,  nevertheless,"  asserted  the  Captain. 

"I  do  n't  doubt  it,  if  you  say  so." 


414  SAVAGE   ISLAND. 

"  Do  the  Niuans  build  good  houses  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  They  are  learning  to  do  so ;  in  fact,  are  copying  to 
some  extent  after  the  Samoans,  —  ingrafting  their  style 
on  to  their  own,  so  that  altogether  the  effect  of  a  modern 
Niuan  house  is  quaint,  and  at  the  same  time  artistic. 
The  natives  are  wonderfully  quick  at  learning,  as  I  have 
the  means  of  knowing,  and  many  of  them  are  able  to 
read  and  write.  I  gained  the  undying  friendship  of  one 
by  giving  him  a  few  sheets  of  paper  and  a  lead-pencil." 

"  How  do  they  dispose  of  their  dead  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  They  have  two  ways  of  doing  so,"  was  the  answer. 
"  When  one  is  followed,  the  body  is  taken  to  the  woods 
on  a  sort  of  bier  and  left  there  until  the  flesh  has  decayed, 
when  the  bones  are  removed  to  the  family  burying-place, 
which  is  usually  a  cave  in  the  lime-stone  rock.  When 
the  other  method  is  employed,  the  body  is  placed  in  a 
canoe,  and  sent  adrift  on  the  sea  to  go  wherever  the 
winds  and  waves  may  carry  it." 

"  I  have  heard  something  about  the  caves  you  mention," 
said  Chester,  "  they  are  many  and  curious,  I  believe." 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  Captain,  "  you  should  see  them, 
they  are  not  only  curious,  but  wonderfully  beautiful. 
From  the  roof  hang  vast  numbers  of  stalactites,  from 
which  water  continually  drops.  Indeed,  the  native  owe 
their  fresh  water  almost  entirely  to  these  caves,  and  since 
the  missionaries  came  to  reside  among  them  have  learned 
to  collect  it  by  digging  wells  in  the  caverns,  into  which 
the  water  flows,  and  so  insures  a  certain  instead  of  a 
precarious  supply.  The  floor  is  covered  with  stalagmitic 
masses,  and  from  these  the  natives  make  oval  balls, 
which  they  hurl  from  the  hand  with  wonderful  force  and 
accuracy." 

"It  is  strange  that  there  should  be  so  many  caves  on 
this  one  little  island,"  said  Eugene. 

"Their  existence  is  evidently  due  to  the  character  of 
the  island,"  rejoined  the  Captain. 


SAVAGE   ISLAND.  415 

"  Without  doubt,"  agreed  the  Professor,  "  for  it  is 
partly  coral  and  partly  volcanic,  the  coral  having  been 
upheaved  by  volcanic  force,  leaving  the  surface  fissured 

(and  broken  by  the  sudden  violence  of  the  shock." 
"  The  native  legend  respecting  the  origin  of  the  island 
points  to  the  same  conclusion,"  said  Captain  Beach. 
"  They  say  that  the  island  was  raised  to  its  present  eleva- 
tion by  two  of  their  ancestors,  named  Hananaki  and  Fao, 
who  swam  there  from  Tonga,  and  found  the  island  only 
just  above  the  waves.  They  stamped  twice  upon  it,  the 
first  stamp  elevating  the  island  to  its  present  height,  and 
the  second  clothing  it  with  trees  and  plants.  They  made 
wives  for  themselves  out  of  the  ti  tree,  and  so  the  island 

I  became  peopled." 
"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  Professor,  "  I  am  glad  you 
related  that;  for  observe,  my  friends,  in  this  tradition 
we  may  easily  perceive  that  these  people  have  retained 
the  knowledge  of  two  important  facts,  that  the  island 
was  elevated  suddenly  from  the  sea,  and  that  the  inhab- 
itants are  not  aborigines,  but  emigrants  from  some  other 
part  of  Polynesia,  probably  Tonga." 

"  They  are  quite  positive  on  that  point,"  said  the 
Captain. 

"  And  no  doubt  they  are  right,"  returned  the  Professor. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  it 's  getting  quite  late,"  said  Captain 
Bradford,  suddenly.  "  Shall  we  go  aboard  ?  " 

"  No,  no ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Hamilton,  with  energy, 
"you  are  to  stay  here  to  dinner  —  all  of  you.  The 
whole  thing  has  been  arranged." 

The  commander  of  the  Albatross  looked  doubtfully  at 
his  passengers. 

"  Better  stay,"  advised  Captain  Beach.  "  You  '11  be 
better  off  than  on  board  the  yacht.  Besides,  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you  after  dinner." 

"  Well,  then,  we  '11  stay,"  and  so  it  was  settled, 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  HERVEY  GROUP— THE  SAMOAN  ISLANDS. 

THE   dinner   passed  off   pleasantly ;    and   when   the 
company  had  withdrawn  to  the  parlors,  and  Daniel 
Kirby,  on  the  plea  of  an  engagement,  had  retired,  Cap- 
tain Beach  gathered  the  party  from  the  Albatross  about 
him,  and  said : 

"Now,  gentlemen,  what  you  have  to  do  is  to  be  at 
Upolu  just  a  week  hence.  Well,  with  such  a  steamer  as 
you  have  at  your  command,  there  will  be  no  trouble  about 
that,  even  if  you  do  not  start  for  several  days  yet." 

"  But  —  "  objected  Captain  Bradford. 

"Hear  me,"  persisted  the  master  of  the  Mansfield. 
"These  young  gentlemen,  naturally  enough,  want  to  see 
all  that 's  worth  seeing  in  this  part  of  the  Pacific.  Now 
I  start  for  Eimeo  at  daylight  to-morrow.  Colonel  Mo- 
lidre  goes  with  me.  We  shall  enjoy  ourselves  and  see 
wonders.  Why  not  giv.e  a  day  or  two  to  this  pleasure, 
especially  as  there  's  profit  in  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  do,  Captain !  "  urged  Eugene. 

"  I  should  like  it  very  much,  too,"  said  Chester. 

"  Well,  I  do  n't  know,"  mused  Captain  Bradford,  "  If  I 
thought  —  " 

"  Mrs.  Beach  is  very  anxious  you  should  go,"  broke  in 
the  master  of  the  Mamfield  persistingly  ;  "  and  I  have 
no  doubt  Mr.  Hamilton  and  the  ladies  here  would  cross 
over  in  your  yacht  if  you  should  ask  them,  and  I  could 
bring  thorn  back,  you  know." 

Captain  Bradford  turned  to  the  consul  with  an  inquir- 
ing look. 

(416) 


THE   HERVEY   GROUP.  417 

"  I  think  we  would,"  smiled  Mr.  Hamilton,  in  answer 
to  the  look. 

"  Well,  then,  as  I  do  n't  see  how  we  can  lose  anything  by 
it,  we  '11  go,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  decidedly. 

"  Good  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  in  a  relieved  tone ;  "  and 
I  'in  awfully  obliged  to  you,  Captain  Beach,  for  suggest- 
ing it." 

"  I  thought  you  would  like  it,"  smiled  the  Captain. 

"  Well,"  said  the  master  of  the  Albatross,  after  a  pause, 
"  if  we  are  to  leave  Papiete  early  to-morrow,  I  must  go 
aboard  now." 

"  And  so  must  we,"  added  Chester.  "  Come,  Professor; 
came,  Eugene." 

"  Mr.  Hamilton,"  said  the  Captain,  as  they  reached  the 
door,  "  I  shall  expect  to  see  you  and  the  ladies  on  board 
about  seven  o'clock.  I  '11  have  a  boat  at  the  landing 
for  you. 

"  Thanks,  Captain,  we  won't  keep  it  waiting,"  and  so 
they  parted. 

The  consul  was  as  good  as  his  word ;  and  the  Albatross 
landed  its  party  on  Eimeo  or  Moorea  before  eight  o'clock 
the  next  morning.  The  Mansfield,  having  started  earlier, 
was  already  there,  and  so,  at  nine  o'clock,  the  whole  com- 
pany set  out  on  their  tour  of  the  island. 

Of  all  the  many  beautiful  isles  they  had  visited,  the 
brothers  thought  Eimeo  by  far  the  most  delightful.  Such 
marvelous  basaltic  needles  and  pinnacles,  gigantic  gray 
forms,  like  vast  serrated  shark's  teeth,  towering  in  mid- 
air, apparently  rising  from  above  the  clouds,  and  the 
lower  mountains  and  valleys  clothed  with  vegetation  of 
the  same  rich  character  as  that  of  Tahiti.  Here  their 
transit  from  one  village  to  another  was  by  boat,  all  in 
dead  calm  water,  within  the  coral  reef,  giving  them  the 
very  best  opportunity  of  seeing  the  coast  to  perfection. 

Their  first  night  was  spent  in  the  pretty  village  of 


418  THE    HERVEY   GROUP. 

Haapiti,  where  they  were  warmly  received  and  delight- 
fully entertained.  They  slept  in  a  large  building  made 
of  palm  and  bamboo,  and  entirely  thatched  with  large 
glossy  fronds  of  the  great  bird's-nest  fern.  The  interior 
was  lined  with  tree-ferns  and  oleanders,  and  festooned 
with  bright  yellow  hibiscus  fiber.  It  was  lighted  with 
Chinese  lanterns.  The  young  girls  who  acted  as  their 
attendants,  each  wore  a  shawl  of  colored  native  cloth 
thrown  over  a  robe  such  as  we  have  already  described. 
A  lady  of  rank,  who  was  present  to  receive  them,  wore 
a  most  becoming  crown  of  arrow-root  fiber,  and  plume  of 
reva-reva. 

There  were  many  picturesque  incidents  in  the  course 
of  their  brief  expedition  round  Eimeo  which  will  long  be 
remembered  by  our  travelers,  and  there  were  visions  of 
such  beauty  of  scenery  as  could  scarcely  be  surpassed  in 
the  most  enchanting  of  dreams.  One  wonderful  forest 
of  tree-ferns  they  will  not  easily  forget,  and  a  splendid 
grove  of  glossy-leaved  tamanu-trees  will  be  recalled  in 
connection  with  one  of  the  most  delightful  days  of  their 
voyage. 

That  tamanu  grove,  and  a  few  noble  old  casuarina-trees 
close  by,  mark  the  spot  where,  in  heathen  days,  many  a 
human  sacrifice  was  offered  to  the  cruel  gods.  Now  a 
Christian  church  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  Marai, 
and  all  is  peaceful  and  happy. 

About  two  miles  inland  from  this  village,  which  is 
called  Tiaia,  lies  a  lake,  a  mile  or  so  in  length.  It  is  not 
beautiful,  not  even  ordinarily  attractive,  its  waters  being 
brackish  and  its  banks  muddy,  but  Eugene  has  tender 
and  pleasant  recollections  of  the  spot,  for  it  contains 
most  excellent  fish,  and  wild  duck  ever  haunt  its  sedgy 
shores. 

They  passed  the  second  night  at  no  great  distance  from 
their  anchorage,  and  early  next  morning,  after  bidding  a 


TREE-FERNS. 


THE   HERVEY   GROUP.  421 

reluctant  farewell  to  all  their  new  friends,  and  with  many 
expressions  of  esteem,  and  hopes  that  they  might  meet 
again  in  the  near  future,  the  party  from  the  Albatross 
sprang  into  the  waiting  boat  and  hastened  on  board. 
The  anchor  was  raised,  the  screw  revolved,  and  the 
steamer's  head  was  pointed  toward  Upolu. 

After  some  three  or  four  hours,  Eugene  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  they  would  soon  be  passing  the 
Hervey  or  Cook's  Islands. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Captain  Bradford,  "  they  lie  just  to 
the  south  of  us." 

"  I  have  often,  heard  the  islands  mentioned,"  said 
Chester,  "but  must  confess,  I  know  very  little  about 
them." 

"  And  I,"  said  the  Professor,  "  regret  that  I  am  unable 
to  enlighten  you  much  on  the  subject." 

"  But  surely,  you  can  tell  us  something  about  them," 
urged  Eugene.  "  Or,  perhaps  you  can,  Captain  ?  " 

"  I  may  be  able  to  give  you  a  little  information," 
replied  the  Captain,  "  as  I  once  visited  them.  The  group 
includes  some  ten  or  more  islands,  the  principal  of  which 
is  Raratonga,  the  others  are  Mangaia,  Remitera,  Aitutaki, 
Anota,  Manual,  Takutea,  Mitiero,  Manki,  Hull,  and  sev- 
eral islets  of  little  account.  Raratonga  is  between  thirty 
and  forty  miles  in  circumference,  and  round  it  extends 
a  large  reef  of  coral.  Like  Ihe  islands  we  have  just 
left,  it  presents  the  most  rich  and_  beautiful  appearance. 
The  land,  as  it  recedes  from  the  sea,  rises  to  a  great 
height,  terminating,  in  the  interior,  in  lofty  mountain 
peaks,  and  is  clothed  in  the  brightest  green  foliage ;  the 
sandy  beach,  washed  by  the  never-ceasing  rollers,  with 
the  pretty  white  houses  quietly  reposing  beneath  the 
thick  shade  of  the  myriads  of  cocoanut,  orange,  and 
banana  trees,  renders  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  isl- 
ands of  this  latitude.  As  I  stood  viewing  it  from  the 


422  THE  HERVEY  GROUP. 

deck  of  my  ship,  while  drawing  nearer  and  nearer,  I 
assure  you,  I  experienced  the  same  sense  of  fascination, 
the  same  thrills  of  delight  we  all  felt  when  first  we 
gazed  upon  Eimeo. 

"  There  are  three  considerable  villages  on  the  island. 
One  is  New  York,  another  New  Bedford,  and  the  largest, 
which,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  call  a  town,  is  Raratonga." 

"  How  many  inhabitants  has  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Not  far  from  nine  hundred,"  was  the  answer. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  the  people  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Well,  from  appearances,"  replied  the  Captain,"  they 
are  not  very  cleanly  in  their  persons,  and,  to  tell  the 
truth,  are  rather  forbidding.  Most  of  them,  however, 
wear  European  clothing,  which  they  obtain  from  ships. 
They  pretend  to  be  friendly,  and  endeavor  to  make  them- 
selves familiar,  and,  as  soon  as  you  land,  they  throng 
about  you  in  the  most  offensive  manner." 

"  It 's  plain  to  see  you  were  not  much  taken  with  them, 
Captain,"  laughed  Eugene. 

" No,"  was  the  reply  ;  "but  I  was  taken  by  them,  and 
pretty  much  done  for.  They  are  great  and  persistent 
beggars,  and  arrant  thieves.  I  think  I  can  hear  the  uni- 
versal cry  that  greeted  me  on  landing  even  now :  '  Oh ! 
too  much  sore  my  toose ;  small  piece  'bacca,  Cap'n.'  I 
tried  to  shake  them  off ;  no  use,  I  gave  it  up.  With  one 
or  two  others  I  went  for  a  stroll.  The  island  abounds 
with  all  kinds  of  tropical  fruit,  and  having  bought  what 
we  wanted,  we  sat  down  to  enjoy  it ;  on  rising,  we  found 
they  had  stolen  all  our  tobacco,  our  pocket-knives,  our 
handkerchiefs,  and,  in  fact,  pretty  much  everything  we 
hud  about  us.  Oh,  they  are  a  precious  set  of  rascals,  I 
can  tell  you." 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked  Chester.  "I 
thought  the  English  were  doing  a  great  missionary  work 
on  the  island." 


THE  HERVEY  GROUP.  423 

"  Ah !  there  is  just  where  it  is,"  rejoined  the  Captain. 
"  They  may  be  doing  a  great  work,  but  it  is  n't  the  right 
kind  of  work." 

"  Is  n't  the  missionary  now  there  a  good  man  ?" 

"  I  can  't  answer  that  question,  for  he  may  not  be  the 
one  I  saw.  As  for  that  one,  some  of  the  natives  liked 
him,  but  more  did  not.  The  chiefs  upheld  him,  but  the 
people  said  he  was  '  no  good  ; '  he  made  them  '  work  too 
much.'  One  of  them  told  me  —  and  I  am  sure  he  told 
the  truth  —  that  if  a  native  failed  to  attend  church  on 
the  Sabbath,  he  had  to  pay  the  missionary  a  dollar ;  if 
he  smoked  on  the  Sabbath,  it  cost  him  the  same  amount ; 
and  many  other  petty  tyrannies  were  practiced.  If  a 
native  wanted  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  he  had  to  pay  the 
sum  of  one  dollar  for  it ;  and,  by  the  way,  one  of  my  sail- 
ors had  to  pay  the  same  sum  for  a  copy.  Now  do  you 
wonder  that  the  native  hated  the  missionary  ?  and  that 
they  were  no  better  than  I  found  them  ?  " 

"  No,  I  do  n't  wonder  at  it,"  exclaimed  Eugene ;  "  and 
I  think  the  missionaries  very  short-sighted  if  they  estab- 
lish such  rules." 

"  Was  n't  this  the  very  island  where  John  Williams 
did  such  a  noble  work  ?  "  asked  Chester,  presently. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  I  stood  by  his  grave  there. 
He  was  a  noble  as  well  as  a  good  man,  and  was  actuated 
by  none  but  the  purest  motives.  I  wish  they  were  all 
like  him." 

"  Ah,  you  may  well  say  that,"  remarked  the  Professor, 
thoughtfully. 

"Tell  us  something  about  Mr.  Williams,  Professor," 
said  Eugene,  eagerly. 

"  What  little  I  can  recall,  I  will  relate  in  a  few  words," 
said  the  palaeontologist:  "John  Williams  was  born  at 
Tottenham,  near  London,  June  29,  1796.  At  the  age  of 
twenty,  the  London  Missionary  Society  sent  him  with  his 


424  THE  HERVEY  GROUP. 

wife  to  Eimeo,  the  island  we  have  just  left.  They  remained 
on  Eimeo  long  enough  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the 
language,  and  then  removed,  first  to  Huahine,  and  finally 
to  Raiatea.  For  five  years  they  labored  here,  and  were 
very  successful,  after  which,  in  the  year  1823,  he  visited 
the  Hervey  group,  and  founded  the  mission  at  Raratonga. 
He  learned  the  language  of  the  group,  prepared  several 
books,  and  even  translated  a  portion  of  the  Bible.  Hav- 
ing no  vessel,  he  made  all  the  necessary  tools,  and  in  a 
little  more  than  three  months,  built  and  launched  a  craft 
sixty  feet  long  and  eighteen  feet  wide,  the  sails  being 
made  of  native  matting,  the  cordage  of  the  bark  of 
the  hibiscus,  the  oakum  of  cocoanut  husks  and  banana 
stumps,  and  the  sheaves  of  ironwood.  In  this  small 
vessel,  within  the  next  four  years,  he  explored  almost  the 
whole  of  the  South  Sea  Islands." 

"  During  this  time  he  established  the  Samoan  mission, 
did  he  not  ?  "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  and  completed  the 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  the  Raratongan 
language." 

"  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker,"  remarked  Eugene, 
approvingly. 

"He  was  indeed,"  assented  the  Professor.  "In  1834 
he  visited  England,  procured  the  publication  of  his  Rara- 
tongan Testament,  raised  money  for  a  missionary  ship, 
published  a  '  Narrative  of  Missionary  Enterprises  in  the 
South  Sea  Islands,'  and  prepared  plans  for  a  theological 
school  at  Raratonga  and  a  high  school  at  Tahiti.  After 
his  return  to  the  Pacific  in  1838,  he  sailed  with  one  com- 
panion for  the  New  Hebrides,  to  establish  a  mission  there, 
but  both  were  killed  by  the  natives,  on  the  island  of 
Tanua,  on  the  20th  of  November,  1839." 

"  What  a  pity  ! "  exclaimed  Chester.  "  How  did  it 
happen?"  ' 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  425 

"  While  he  was  attempting  to  land,"  rejoined  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  with  a  desire  to  create  a  friendly  feeling  with  the 
natives,  they  rushed  upon  him,  and,  as  he  attempted  to 
reach  the  boat,  he  was  struck  by  a  spear  and  killed.  They 
hauled  the  body  clear  of  the  beach,  and  refused  to  give  it 
up.  However,  afterwards  they  thought  better  of  it,  and 
delivered  up  the  remains,  which  were  taken  to  Raratonga 
and  there  buried,  as  the  Captain  has  informed  you." 

"  It  is  sad  to  think  that  such  good  men  have  to  be 
sacrificed,"  mused  Chester ;  "  and  right  in  the  midst  of 
their  usefulness  too." 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  but  doubtless 
it  is  for  some  wise  end, —  and  what  hosts  of  martyrs  there 
have  been ! " 

"  Captain,"  asked  Eugene,  after  a  pause,  "  are  all  the 
Herveys  volcanic  ? " 

"  No,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  some  of  the  islands  are  entirely 
coral,  and  all  of  them  are  surrounded  by  the  dangerous 
coral  reefs,  at  which  the  coral  'insects'  are  still  at  work." 

"  There  is  quite  a  group  to  the  southeast  of  the  Her- 
veys, I  notice." 

"  Yes,  the  Austral  Islands,  of  which  Rututua,  Raivavai, 
Oparo,  and  St.  Elmo  are  the  best  known." 

At  this  moment  the  Captain  was  summoned  forward, 
and  before  he  returned,  dinner  was  announced,  and  so 
the  conversation  was  interrupted  for  the  day.  But  the 
next  morning,  at  the  usual  hour,  he  again  joined  them, 
and  after  a  few  words  of  ordinary  conversation,  abruptly 
said : 

"  In  less  than  forty-eight  hours  we  shall  drop  our 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Apia." 

"  Good !  "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  I  am  just  aching  to  set 
foot  among  the  Samoans." 

"  You  are  anxious  to  feast  your  eyes  on  the  fair  Samoan 
damsels,  I  suppose,"  laughed  his  brother. 


426  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

"I  admit  the  soft  impeachment,"  returned  Eugene. 
"  They  say  they  are  the  belles  of  the  Pacific." 

"  It  may  be  so,  but  do  n't  forget  that  the  Tongan  girls, 
and  even  the  Hawaiian  maidens  have  their  champions. 
For  my  part,  I  hardly  expect  to  find  anything  as  pretty 
as  the  fair  ones  we  saw  in  the  Marquesas  Isles,  or  those 
we  have  just  left  behind  us  in  Tahiti  and  Eimeo." 

"  I  am  sure  none  of  them  can  hold  a  candle  to  the 
daughters  of  Samoa,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  stubbornly. 
"  What  do  you  say,  Captain  ?  " 

"  To  those  who  like  the  Polynesian  style  of  beauty,  the 
girls  of  Samoa  must  seem  quite  pretty,"  was  the  rather 
non-committal  answer. 

The  brothers  laughed. 

"  Well,  I  shall  see  for  myself  two  days  hence,"  said 
Eugene,  "  meanwhile,  Professor,  post  us  up  a  little,  for  I 
am  sure  you  know  all  about  the  islands." 

"  That  is  hardly  a  correct  statement,"  smiled  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  but  I  know  something  about  them,  and  no 
doubt,  with  the  Captain  to  help  me  now  and  then,  I  can 
give  you  a  very  fair  idea  of  the  islands  and  people  we 
are  about  to  visit." 

"  Who  gave  them  the  name  of  Navigator's  Islands  ? 
I  've  forgotten,  if  I  ever  knew." 

"  Bougainville,  in  consequence  of  their  skillful  seaman- 
ship, which,  without  exaggeration,  is  truly  wonderful ; 
but  we  will  call  them  Samoa,  if  you  please,  that  being 
their  proper  name,  and  the  one  they  have  a  right  to  insist 
upon." 

"  With  all  the  pleasure  in  life,"  said  Eugene,  "  I  've  no 
objection,  I  assure  you." 

"  There  are  quite  a  number  of  islands  in  the  group,  I 
believe?"  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  there  are  nine  inhab- 
ited islands,  namely,  Manua,  Oloosinga,  Ofoo,  Anuu, 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  427 

Tutuila,  Upolu,  Manono,  Apolima,  and  Savaii.  Then 
there  are  four  islets  stretching  beyond  the  reef  upon  the 
eastern  end  of  Upolu :  Nuulua,  Nutali,  Taputapu,  and 
Namoa ;  also,  an  isolated  islet  between  Manono  and  Apo- 
lima, called  Niulapo.  Neither  of  these  islets  is  what  is 
termed  a  coral  island.  Though  separated  from  the  larger 
ones  by  shoals  and  coral  reefs,  yet  they  are  all  of  the 
same  formation  and  physical  structure  as  the  mainland." 

"  What  is  the  area  of  the  group,  in  the  aggregate  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Wilkes  made  it  1,650  square  miles,"  answered  the 
Professor ;  "  but  later  authorities  place  it  at  1,125  square 
miles." 

"  Quite  a  difference,"  remarked  Eugene.  Then  inquir- 
ingly :  "  Just  where  do  the  islands  lie,  Professor  ?" 

"  The  entire  group,  north  and  south,  is  between  13°  27' 
and  14°  18'  south  latitude,  and  extends  from  169°  28'  to 
172°  48'  west  longitude,"  was  the  answer. 

"A  good  tiling,"  observed  the  Captain,  "is  that  the 
water  spaces  between  the  islands  are  free  from  shoals  or 
outlying  reefs,  while  the  island  headlands  are  certain 
guides  to  the  navigator." 

"  To  be  sure,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  but  if  I  remem- 
ber rightly,  strong  currents  frequently  set  through  the 
channels,  and  beating  to  windward,  especially  with  square- 
rigged  vessels,  lengthens  the  passage  between  the  islands." 

"  Quite  true,"  rejoined  the  Captain  ;  "  but  the  prevail- 
ing winds  are  southeast  trades,  which  are  more  uniform 
than  the  northeast  trades,  and  although  strong  at  times, 
they  seldom  approach  a  gale." 

"  The  entire  group,  I  suppose,"  said  Eugene,  "  is  of 
volcanic  formation." 

"  Without  doubt,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  but  every- 
where evidence  is  discovered  to  prove  the  great  antiquity 
of  the  islands,  though  in  1867  a  submarine  volcan'o  burst 
18 


428  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

out  of  the  ocean,  between  Manna  and  Oloosinga,  sending 
upward  a  column  of  fire,  with  mud  and  sand  and  stones, 
to  a  height  of  more  than  two  thousand  feet,  and  this 
continued  for  a  period  of  two  weeks,  when  it  subsided." 

"  Gracious ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  can  we  see  anything 
of  that  ocean-born  volcano  ?  Did  it  leave  no  trace 
behind?" 

"  None,  whatever,"  was  the  answer.  "  More  than  that, 
it  is  even  said  to  be  difficult  now  to  get  soundings  on  the 
site." 

"  It  seems  strange,"  remarked  Chester,  "  that  a  volcano 
should  have  appeared  after  so  long  a  time,  and  displayed 
such  violent  activity ;  for,  if  I  understood  you  rightly, 
nothing  of  the  kind  had  occurred  in  the  group  before  for 
ages." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  for,  although 
extinct  volcanoes  are  discovered  upon  all  the  islands,  yet 
no  account  of  their  eruption  is  found  in  native  history  or 
tradition." 

"  Then,  while  they  are  surely  volcanic,  all  volcanic 
action  must  have  ceased  ages  ago." 

"  Yes,  the  islands  seem  to  have  been  lifted  from  the 
ocean-bed  by  a  mighty  convulsion  —  a  subterranean  up- 
heaval previous  to  the  earth's  crust  being  broken.  On 
the  island  of  Upolu  masses  of  coral  have  lately  been  dis- 
covered in  the  water-courses,  and  imbedded  in  ancient 
cellular  lava  at  2,500  feet  above  the  sea-level,  while  marine 
shells  may  be  found  upon  the  plateaus  and  mountains 
throughout  the  group ;  but  nowhere  upon  the  island  is 
there  a  possible  indication  of  primitive  formation  or 
secondary  rocks ;  the  entire  land-surface  plainly  showing 
the  immense  flow  of  lava  subsequent  to  upheaval. 

"  The  highest  mountains  in  each  of  the  islands,"  the 
Professor  continued, "  are  conical  or  spire-shaped.  When 
all  evidences  of  craters  have  been  destroyed  by  time  and 


THE  SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  429 

the  action  of  the  elements,  upon  such  mountains  are 
found  ancient  vesicular  lava  and  amygdaloids,  the  olivine 
often  disintegrated  and  found  in  the  water-courses.  Lava, 
in  stratification  or  folds,  is  generally  distributed  over  the 
islands,  often  presenting  a  granular  appearance." 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  knowing  how  long  the  group 
has  been  inhabited  ?  "  said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  returned  the  Professor,  slowly. 

"  I  have  somewhere  heard,"  observed  Chester, "  that  on 
one  of  the  islands  there  are  certain  remarkable  ruins, 
much  of  the  same  character,  I  should  judge,  as  those  on 
Kusaie,  of  which  you  told  us  some  time  ago." 

"  There  are  such  ruins,  I  believe,"  said  the  Professor ; 
"  but  so  far  as  I  remember,  I  have  never  seen  a  descrip- 
tion of  them.  Do  you  know  anything  about  them, 
Captain?" 

"  A  little  something,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  for  to  tell  the 
truth,  while  I  was  at  Apia  last,  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  place." 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  eagerly,  "  tell  us  all  about 
them,  then." 

"Really,  there  is  not  much  to  tell,"  said  the  Captain. 
"  But  hearing  of  the  ancient  works,  and  that  they  were 
built  of  cut  stone,  I  determined  to  see  them  for  myself. 
I  persuaded  a  friend  to  accompany  me,  and  early  one 
morning  we  started  out  with  native  guides.  The  spot 
was  about  a  day's  journey  from  the  town,  and  we  found 
stone  pillars  and  slabs  for  flooring,  the  whole  forming  a 
perfect  circle.  The  uniformity  in  the  size  of  the  stones, 
and  their  smoothness,  certainly  indicated  good  and  care- 
ful workmanship.  These  ruins  were  in  a  dense  forest 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  underbrush.  With  much  diffi- 
culty we  penetrated  this,  and  found,  under  an  overhanging 
cliff  a  quarry  of  laminated  lava,  granular  in  appearance 
and  of  fine  texture.  To  my  mind,  this  discovery  at  once 
settled  the  matter.  There  was  the  structure,  and  here 


430  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

was  the  quarry  that  furnished  the  stone  for  it.  But  by 
whom  and  when  the  building  was  erected,  and  for  what 
purposes,  I  leave  you  to  conjecture,  since  I  have  no  idea, 
and  the  inhabitants  have  no  traces  of  history  or  tradition 
which  throw  any  light  on  the  subject." 

"  I  do  n't  wonder  the  present  inhabitants  know  nothing 
about  it,"  said  the  Professor,  "  for  I  am  firmly  persuaded' 
it  was  built  by  another  and  an  extinct  race." 

"  Well,  then,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  there's  no  use  in 
our  bothering  ourselves  any  more  about  it,  for  we  are  not 
likely  to  get  at  the  truth  if  we  do,  and  I  expect  there  are 
many  other  wonderful  things  on  these  same  islands  that 
will  better  pay  investigation." 

"  Yes,"  said  Chester,  "  there  are  some  curious  caverns, 
I  hear.  Did  you  visit  any  of  them,  Captain?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply, "  in  company  with  the  same  friend 
I  explored  a  most  remarkable  one  on  the  island  of  Savaii. 
At  that  time  the  caverns  of  Samoa  had  attracted  very 
little  attention,  not  even  the  missionaries  having  visited 
them,  and  we  were  laughed  at  for  thinking  of  the  thing ; 
but  we  persisted  in  our  undertaking,  and  afterwards  were 
glad  enough  that  we  had  done  so.  We  entered  this  one 
through  a  well-like  opening,  in  the  level  ground,  back  of 
the  village  of  Salcaula.  This  opening  was  caused  by  the 
arch  of  the  cave  breaking,  the  debris  being  piled  upon 
the  floor.  The  roof  is  a  perfect  arch,  and  quite  as  sym- 
metrical as  the  finest  railway  tunnel. 

"Traversing  this  subterraneous  cavity  a  distance  of 
more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  toward  the  sea,  we  came  to 
a  cross-section,  or  passage,  running  at  right-angles,  of 
the  same  size  and  physical  structure.  This  we  followed 
for  nearly  a  mile,  finding  a  uniform  level,  with  good  air. 
At  length  we  returned  to  the  main  cavern,  and  followed 
it,  perhaps,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  when  it  branched ; 
continuing  to  the  right  for  half  a  mile  or  so,  we  found 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  431 

the  roof  broken  and  further  progress  checked,  but  dis- 
covered a  small  opening  upward,  sufficiently  large  for 
egress." 

"  That 's  a  cave  worth  talking  about  ?  "  exclaimed  Eu- 
gene. "  Now,  how  many  miles  of  passages  should  you 
say  there  were,  Captain  ?  " 

"  We  did  not  determine  the  full  extent  of  the  sub- 
terranean passages,"  was  the  answer ;  "  but  I  can  assure 
you,  there  are  many  miles  of  them." 

"  How  far  above  the  level  of  the  sea  is  the  floor  of  the 
cave?"  asked  Chester. 

"  Not  more  than  twenty  feet,  I  should  say,"  replied  the 
Captain,  "  while  the  roof  is  scarcely  more  than  ten  feet 
in  thickness." 

"  What  is  the  character  of  the  surface  of  the  country  ?  " 
asked  the  Professor.  "  Though  I  think  I  could  tell  pretty 
nearly,"  he  quickly  added. 

"  This  arterial  system  of  caves  is  beneath  a  wide  and 
level  stretch  of  country  very  heavily  timbered,"  the  Cap- 
tain answered. 

"  Are  they  connected  with  the  ocean  in  any  way  ? " 
asked  Chester. 

"  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  they  are,"  was  the  reply, 
"  as  in  some  places  upon  the  floor  the  water  was  quite 
salt." 

"  There  are  fresh-water  springs  upon  the  beach  in  many 
places,  are  there  not  ?  "asked  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  I  observed  a  great  many,"  answered  the  Captain. 

"  Then,"  said  the  Professor,  "  like  subterranean  chan- 
nels, you  may  be  sure,  account- for  those  springs." 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  right,"  exclaimed  the  Captain ; 
"  for  in  the  Bay  of  Satupaitai  is  a  great  spring  of  fresh 
water,  fifty  feet  from  low-water  mark,  which  boils  like  a 
huge  cauldron  from  the  rocks  beneath.  Here  the  natives 
bathe  in  fresh  water,  though  surrounded  by  the  brine  of 
the  ocean." 


4:32  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

"  And  I  have  seen  it  stated,"  said  Chester,  "  that  in  the 
small  island  of  Anuu  there  is  a  mud  lake  which  is  con- 
nected with  the  ocean.  The  proof  being  that  it  rises  and 
falls  regularly  with  the  ocean  tides." 

"  That  is  so,"  affirmed  the  Captain  ;  "  but  a  still  more 
remarkable  phenomenon  is  presented  upon  an  atoll  called 
Quiros,  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  northeast  of  Savaii, 
the  circular  reef  of  which  is  low,  scarce  high  enough  to 
resist  the  waves  during  a  northern  gale.  This  reef  sur- 
rounds a  lagoon  of  fresh  water,  in  which  small  vessels 
might  anchor.  And  now  I  think  of  it,  I  must  say,  it 
seems  reasonable  that  the  water-sheds  of  Samoa,  by  sub- 
terranean passages,  such  as  we  have  been  speaking  of, 
may  supply  this  lagoon  with  fresh  water." 

"  It  is  possible,  surely,"  said  the  Professor,  thoughtfully. 

"  Well,  we  must  see  these  wonderful  caves  for  our- 
selves," said  Eugene ;  "  and  now  let  me  ask  about  the 
climate  and  vegetation.  Are  they  all  that  is  claimed  for 
them?" 

"  They  are  all  you  could  wish,  young  man,"  returned 
the  Captain.  "  The  climate  is  warm  and  equable,  and 
the  warmth  and  moisture  of  the  atmosphere,  joined  to  a 
vigorous  and  prolific  soil,  have  clothed  the  islands  with  a 
varied  and  luxuriant  vegetation.  Yes,  eternal  summer 
gives  them  a  perennial  flora.  From  base  to  mountain-top 
they  are  covered  with  verdure.  Excepting  the  shore-line 
of  lava  I  have  mentioned,  and  a  lava-field  of  a  few  miles 
in  area  on  the  eastern  end  of  Savaii,  there  is  no  space  of 
bare  or  naked  land  in  the  entire  group.  The  soil  is  a 
rich  mold  upon  the  slopes,  and  even  upon  the  precipitous 
mountain  sides,  while  the  valleys  and  level  tracts  are  a 
deep  alluvial  deposit  of  the  same,  the  whole  a  decomposi- 
tion of  vegetable  matter  with  only  a  slight  proportion 
of  decomposed  lava;  this  being  impregnated  with  iron 
makes  a  vigorous  tillable  loam.  So  rapid  is  the  growth 


THE    SAMOAN    ISLANDS.  433 

and  decay  of  vegetable  matter,  and  so  long  has  it  been 
accumulating,  that  the  interstices  of  broken  lava  upon 
abrupt  declivities  are  filled  with  soil,  which  is  again  pro- 
tected from  heavy  washes  by  trees  and  shrubbery." 

"  The  islands  must  present  a  magnificent  picture  from 
the  sea,"  suggested  Chester. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  returned  the  Captain,  enthusiastically ; 
"  upon  a  near  approach  the  groves  of  cocoanut  trees  are 
seen  lining  the  beach,  with  native  villages  nestling  among 
them.  The  background  of  abrupt  hills  or  long  easy  slopes 
is  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  clothed  in 
living  green." 

"  The  forest  timber  must  be  very  valuable,"  observed 
the  Professor. 

"  I  think  it  is  quite  safe  to  say  that  no  islands  in  the 
Pacific  have  such  primeval  forests,  and  such  a  variety  of 
valuable  woods,"  rejoined  the  Captain.  "  The  trees  are 
tall  and  symmetrical,  with  clear  and  uniform  stems,  such 
as  are  seldom  found  in  groves  of  hard-wood.  There  are 
heavy  timber-trees  with  umbrageous  foliage,  and  groves 
of  lighter,  softer,  but  more  perishable  trees." 

"  What  are  some  of  the  more  important  trees  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  The  tamanu,  which  you  must  have  noticed  at  Tahiti, 
a  heavy  tree  with  spreading  branches,  the  trunk  often 
four  feet  in  diameter;  the  fetau,  perhaps  the  most  valua- 
ble timber-tree  in  the  group,  the  wood  being  of  various 
shades  of  red,  of  fine  texture,  and  enduring  polish ;  the 
faUj  common  to  most  islands  of  the  Pacific,  is  here  very 
abundant  and  more  valuable  to  the  natives  than  any 
other  tree,  except,  perhaps,  the  cocoanut  and  bread-fruit, 
the  wood  being  used  for  canoes,  and  its  fibrous  inner  bark 
for  fishing-nets  and  fine  lines,  also  for  beautiful  mats  with 
a  fine,  soft  nap ;  the  aao,  banyan-tree,  which  I  need  not 
describe,  for  —  " 


434  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

"  What !  the  real  banyan-tree,  Captain  ? "  interrupted 
Eugene. 

"  Yes,  the  genuine  Ficus  Indica"  was  the  reply.  " It 
is  not  abundant  in  Samoa,  though  perhaps  as  much  so  as 
in  the  Indies,  considering  the  area  of  the  islands  ;  here 
it  is  the  monarch  of  the  forest,  lifting  its  great  leafy 
dome  above  the  surrounding  foliage.  It  may  be  seen 
from  the  coast  miles  in  the  interior." 

"  Well,  I  'm  glad  I  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  it.  What 
else  is  there,  Captain  ? " 

"The  ifi,  native  chestnut,  and  the  vi  are  both  large 
trees,  growing  in  abundance.  Both,  as  you  know,  are 
fruit-bearing." 

"The  vi,"  said  Chester,  "is  known  in  Tahiti  as  the 
Brazilian  plum,  and  bears,  I  was  told,  but  once  a  year." 

"  True,"  rejoined  the  Captain,  "  and  the  fruit,  when 
ripe,  is  of  a  rich  orange-color,  as  large  as  the  largest 
peach.  It  is  very  nutritious,  and,  in  taste,  more  nearly 
approaches  the  apple  than  does  any  other  tropical  fruit. 
The  ifi,  or  chestnut,  is  particularly  attractive  from  its 
graceful  stem  and  buttresses,  which  grow  out  from  the 
trunk  at  the  base.  These  remarkable  supports  surround 
the  tree  in  perfect  regularity,  having  very  thin  bark,  and 
are  sometimes  six  or  eight  feet  high,  gradually  tapering 
from  the  tree  to  the  earth." 

"  Of  course,  they  have  the  paper  mulberry  ?"  said  Eugene. 

"Yes,"  responded  the  Captain,  "the  ua,  or  Chinese 
paper  mulberry,  is  very  abundant  in  Samoa;  so  much  so 
that  the  osiers  or  twigs  are  seldom  regularly  cultivated. 
The  miniature  thickets  are  found  on  all  the  lowlands. 
From  the  inner  bark  of  the  ua,  as  you  know,  is  manu- 
factured the  native  cloth,  called  'tapa,'  in  most  of  the 
groups,  but  '  siupo '  in  Samoa,  and  I  assure  you,  it  is  a 
rare  sight  to  sec  the  girls  making  it.  They  are  the  sole 
manufacturers,  and  arc  wonderfully  skillful  and  patient 


THE    SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 


435 


over  their  work  In  the  first  place,  for  the  finest  cloth, 
they  always  employ  very  young  trees,  not  more  than 
fifteen  or  sixteen  months  old,  and  only  two  or  three 


inches  in  diameter.  They  begin  their  work  by  cutting 
down  the  tree,  peeling  off  the  bark,  and  steeping  it  for 
about  forty-eight  hours  in  water,  so  as  to  enable  the  rough, 


18* 


436  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

outer  bark  to  be  removed  from  the  thin  and  delicate  inner 
bark.  By  constant  beating,  this  substance  becomes  great- 
ly increased  in  width  and  reduced  in  thickness,  and,  like 
gold-leaf,  it  can  be  beaten  out  to  almost  any  extent." 

"  But  how  do  they  make  such  long  pieces  of  cloth  as 
I  know  they  do,"  asked  Eugene, "  the  strips  of  bark  being 
only  ten  or  twelve  inches  wide  ?" 

"A  number  of  them  are  united  by  overlapping  the 
edges  and  putting  between  them  arrow-root  dissolved  in 
water,"  replied  the  Captain.  "  The  united  pieces,  while 
still  wet,  are  again  beaten,  and  after  a  while  the  two 
pieces  become  one,  and  all  signs  of  the  junction  disap- 
pear." 

"  What  is  the  next  step  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  When  a  piece  of  sufficient  size  is  made,"  said  the 
Captain,  "  printing  and  staining  are  the  next  processes. 
The  dyes  are  generally  of  three  kinds,  red,  brown,  and 
yellow.  The  first  two  colors  are  obtained  from  clays,  and 
the  third  from  the  root  of  the  turmeric.  The  women 
who  make  and  print  the  cloth  do  not  prepare  the  dyes, 
that  being  a  separate  occupation,  and  among  the  Samoans 
the  different  professions  are,  or  rather,  have  heretofore 
been,  strictly  limited  to  certain  families,  just  as  is  the 
case  with  the  castes  in  India.  In  printing  the  pattern  is 
made  by  fastening  the  flexible  ribs  of  the  cocoanut-lcaf 
on  a  board.  When  the  ribs  are  quite  hard  and  dry,  the 
cloth  is  stretched  over  them,  and  the  dye  rubbed  over  it 
with  a  stiff  brush,  so  that  it  only  adheres  to  those  parts 
of  the  cloth  which  press  against  the  raised  pattern  below. 
For  patterns  of  a  larger  size  a  softer  bark  is  used,  which 
holds  a  quantity  of  color." 

"  We  must  surely  see  the  girls  make  cloth,"  said 
Eugene.  "  What  other  important  trees  and  plants  have 
they,  Captain?" 

"  Besides  those  I  have  mentioned,"  replied  the  Captain, 


THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS.  437 

"  there  are  the  paoga  and  tala,  two  varieties  of  pandanus, 
from  which  the  native  coarse  and  finer  sleeping-mats  are 
made.  Then  the  ulu  or  bread-fruit  tree  flourishes  in 
greatest  variety  and  luxuriance.  In  every  village  these 
useful  trees  are  interspersed  with  the  cocoanut,  and  sur- 
round each  house,  while  every  town  has  one  or  more 
groves  in  the  interior.  On  the  leeward  end  of  Savaii, 
one  can  walk  for  a  mile  or  more  at  a  time  through  ulu 
groves.  The  tree  is  not  tall,  but  uniform  and  beautiful 
in  shape,  like  the  finest  specimens  we  saw  on  Nukihiva. 
Then  there  is  the  cocoanut  palm,  the  anauli,  and  among 
lesser  plants  the  ava." 

"  The  ava  ?  "  repeated  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Captain  ;  "  for  what  is  termed  kava 
or  cava  in  Tonga,  Fiji,  and  many  other  groups,  in  Samoa 
and  Hawaii  is  called  ava.  It  is  a  species  of  the  pepper 
plant,  a  spreading  shrub,  growing  in  clusters  from  six  to 
ten  feet  in  height.  The  stalks  are  deep  green,  in  joints 
like  bamboo  or  sugar-cane.  The  plant  grows  from  a 
large  bulbous  root.  We  already  know  a  great  deal  about 
it,  and  so  I  will  merely  say  that  in  Samoa  it  is  only  used 
on  special  occasions  —  councils,  entertaining  of  friends  ; 
being  generally  tendered  as  an  evidence  of  great  esteem. 
I  never  saw  or  knew  of  a  case  of  intoxication  or  stupefac- 
tion from  its  use  in  the  islands.  Here  the  liquor  is  pre- 
pared by  young  girls,  who  masticate  the  dried  root,  and 
strain  through  cocoanut  fibers  into  a  large  bowl  hewn 
from  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  the  inner  side  of  which,  from 
constant  use,  attains  a  beautiful  pigeon-blue  color  or 
enamel  of  high  polish.  The  plant,  I  ought  to  say,  grows 
wild,  though  it  is  extensively  cultivated  in  many  places." 

"  If  I  remember  rightly,  Captain,"  said  the  Professor, 
"  there  are  not  many  odoriferous  shrubs  and  flowers  on 
the  islands." 

"  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  the  plants  of  those  characters 


438  THE    SAMOAN-  ISLANDS. 

would  not  take  high  rank  in  botany  either  for  multitude 
or  variety ;  yet  there  are  few  people  who  pay  greater 
tribute  to  floral  nature  than  the  Samoans.  Every  scent- 
bearing  plant  and  fragrant  flower  is  brought  into  requisi- 
tion for  wreaths,  necklaces,  and  other  adornments  of  the 
person.  Native  oil  for  the  hair  is  scented  with  ififi  filo- 
filoa,  ana  oliin,  and  other  odoriferous  plants  and  flowers ; 
while  necklaces  are  made  from  taitaipo,  luni,  pupuiono, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  oli  tato.  These  are  some  of  the 
indigenous  flowering  plants  having  no  technical  names." 

"  For  heaven's  sake  !  What  do  they  want  of  technical 
names  ? "  growled  Eugene,  "  are  not  those  they  already 
have  outrageous  enough,  I  'd  like  to  know  ? " 

"  Without  a  doubt,"  laughed  the  Captain ;  "  but  I 
suppose  they  are  sweet-sounding  enough  to  the  fair  Sa- 
moan  girls,  whom,  without  having  seen,  you  love." 

"  That  settles  it,"  said  Eugene.  "  Go  on,  Professor,  I 
see  you  were  about  to  say  something." 

"  I  was  merely  going  to  ask  about  the  climbing  ferns," 
said  the  Professor.  "  They  have  one  or  more  varieties, 
Captain?" 

"  Yes,  the  laumapapa  and  the  laufassafasa,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Often  these  evergreen  ferns  climb  to  the  tops  of 
the  highest  trees,  their  rich  green  tassels  pendant  from 
the  overhanging  boughs,  making  a  delightful  wild-wood 
picture.  I  assure  you,  I  have  been  particularly  impressed 
by  the  abundance  and  great  variety  of  ferns  in  the 
mountains." 

"  How  about  fruit  and  vegetables  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  I  wonder  you  have  n't  asked  that  question  before," 
said  his  brother,  laughingly. 

"  Comfort  your  longing  soul,  0  my  friend,"  said  the 
Captain ;  "  for  if  those  things  you  ask  about  are  limited 
in  variety,  this  fact  is  amply  compensated  for  by  their 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  439 

• 

great  abundance.  So  bounteous  is  nature  indeed,  that 
every  day  is  practically  to  the  Samoan  a  holiday." 

"  That's  the  spot  I  'm  looking  for !  "  exclaimed  Eugene, 
with  enthusiasm. 

"  Yes,"  the  Captain  went  on,  "  the  production  of  food 
and  the  support  of  a  family  can  scarcely  be  termed  labor, 
yet  few  aboriginal  people  live  better.  Bread-fruit  hangs 
invitingly  about  every  house ;  it  is  their  most  important 
•article  of  food.  There  are  several  varieties,  and  from 
them  many  dishes  are  prepared.  The  fruit  here  is  mostly 
baked  in  ovens  and  eaten  with  fish,  yams,  taro,  mnd 
bananas.  It  is  not  a  nutritive  food ;  but  the  ease  with 
which  it  is  produced  and  the  consequent  exemption  from 
much  hard  labor  which  it  secures,  makes  the  natives 
disinclined  to  substitute  for  it  the  maize  of  the  temperate 
zone,  though  Indian  corn  grows  in  great  luxuriance,  and 
is  knows  by  the  Samoans  to  be  more  conducive  to  the 
development  of  mental  and  physical  vigor  than  the  favor- 
ite bread-fruit." 

"  That  won't  do  for  me ;  at  least,  not  alone,"  said 
Eugene.  "  What  else  have  they  ?  " 

"  There  are  eight  distinct  varieties  of  the  yam,"  replied 
the  Captain.  "  It  is  indigenous,  growing  in  the  woods 
and  high  upon  the  mountains,  where  it  attains  its  greatest 
size ;  sometimes  a  single  cluster  of  roots  weighing  eighty 
pounds.  It  is,  however,  the  cultivated  yam  upon  which 
the  natives  rely.  Every  family  has  its  yam  and  taro 
patch." 

"  While  the  yam  is  very  good,  I  suppose  the  taro  is  the 
better  of  the  two  ? "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  "  the  taro  is  a  rich,  nutri- 
tious, and  healthful  food ;  in  growth  and  appearance  not 
unlike  the  potato,  as  you  know,  but  far  more  valuable  as 
a  vegetable  food,  containing  as  it  does  a  large  proportion 
of  starch.  Taro  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  whites  on 


440  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

• 

the  islands,  and  no  doubt  will  ever  be  their  staple  food. 
From  the  young  green  tops  the  natives  make  a  variety  of 
very  palatable  dishes." 

" I  suppose  there  is  plenty  of  arrow-root?"  said  Chester. 

"  It  is  indigenous,"  was  the  reply.  "  It  is  found  wild, 
but  seldom  cultivated,  and  is  rarely  used.  Great  quantities 
might  be  raised  by  a  little  effort." 

"  What  of  the  fruits,  Captain,  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  plantain  and  the  banana  grow  upon  all  the1 
islands  in  great  profusion  and  variety.  In.  some  districts 
there  are  regularly  cultivated  banana  plantations.  The 
wild  banana  is  especially  valuable  for  its  fiber,  much 
resembling  hemp  in  texture.  Oranges,  lemons,  and  limes 
are  very  abundant,  the  last  named  in  great  variety  and 
excellence.  Guavas,  mangoes,  and  citrons  are  found  in 
plenty.  The  citron-tree  is  justly  praised  for  its  beauty, 
its  dark-green  foliage  shading  the  fruit,  which  hangs  like 
great  corrugated  masses  of  gold." 

"  They  have  a  plant  from  which  indigo  is  obtained,  I 
have  heard,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  *l  and  it  grows  profusely. 
The  stem  is  fine,  and  the  whole  plant  rich  in  coloring 
matter.  It  is  not  cultivated.  Coffee  is  also  found  wild, 
though  not  in  sufficient  quantities  to  ever  justify  the 
belief  that  it  is  a  native  of  Samoa.  The  wild  turmeric  is 
very  generally  distributed,  as  I  have  already  intimated, 
it  is  used  chiefly  as  a  dye ;  but  the  curry  made  from  it  is 
a  very  superior  article,  comparing  favorably  with  the 
finest  curry  of  the^  indies.  The  atone  (nutmeg)  is  indige- 
nous and  valuable,  the  mace  being  exceedingly  fine  and 
rich.  There  are  two  varieties  of  cotton  growing  on  the 
islands,  both  species  of  the  sea-island  cotton,  one  of  much 
larger  fiber  than  the  other ;  but  they  are  not  cultivated." 

"  Was  not  the  white  or  Irish  potato  introduced  some 
years  ago  ?  "  asked  the  Professor. 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  441 

"  It  was,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  but  has  not  proved 
a  success.  It  grows  strong  and  rapidly,  but  loses  flavor. 
The  seed  runs  out,  or  the  bulb  turns  to  the  sweet  potato. 
Upon  the  mountains  or  high  plateaus,  I  have  no  doubt  the 
potato  would  flourish  quite  as  well  as  it  does  in  Hawaii." 

"  Is  there  anything  interesting  to  be  said  of  the  fauna 
of  the  islands?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Very  little  indeed,"  was  the  answer.  "  A  few  wild 
dogs  are  found  in  the  mountains,  but  they  have  not  the 
appearance  or  habits  of  the  wolf  or  fox,  and  have  evi- 
dently come  from  the  domestic  animal  brought  by  ship- 
ping to  the  islands.  The  pig  is  common,  of  course ; 
numbers  are  seen  in  every  village ;  they  and  fowls  com- 
prise the  animal  food  of  the  natives.  Wild  hogs  roam 
in  herds  through  the  forests,  and  were  numerous  long 
before  LaPe'rouse  or  Captain  Cook  ever  saw  the  group. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  common  barn-yard  fowl." 

"  How  and  when  did  they  get  there,  then  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Tell  me  how  and  when  the  ancestors  of  the  people 
those  great  navigators  found  on  the  islands  got  there,  and 
I  will  answer  your  question,  for  no  doubt  they  came  in 
the  same  way  and  at  the  same  time." 

"  I  doubt  it,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  for  that  does  not 
agree  with  the  traditions  of  the  Marquesans  or  'those  of 
the  inhabitants  of  other  groups." 

"  Ah,  but  you  must  remember  the  Marquesans  and  the 
other  islanders  you  refer  to  are  far  to  the  east  of  Samoa ; 
and  while  the  first  settlers  of  the  last  named  group  may 
have  come  well  equipped,  those  to  the  east  may  have 
landed  utterly  destitute." 

"  That  may  be  so,"  admitted  Eugene,  dubiously. 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  the  Captain,  "  the  chicken  is  quite 
as  abundant  where  we  are  going  as  in  civilized  and 


442  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

thickly  settled  countries.  The  same  fowl  is  also  wild  in 
the  forests  in  great  numbers." 

"  There  are  very  few  native  birds,  I  think,"  said  Chester. 

"  True,"  assented  the  Captain  ;  "  but  most  of  those  the 
islands  possess  are  of  peculiar  habits  and  rare  plumage. 
Some  species  are  unknown  elsewhere.  The  dodo,  or, 
more  properly,  the  '  little  dodo,'  long  supposed  to  be  ex- 
tinct, is  found  only  in  this  group.  It  is  a  timid  bird, 
lonely  in  its  habits,  exceedingly  scarce  in  number,  and 
only  found  in  lonely  and  almost  inaccessible  parts  of  the 
mountains.  The  dodo  was  once  considered  sacred  by 
the  Samoans ;  at  another  time  used  as  food  by  the  great 
chiefs.  It  is  the  tooth-billed  pigeon,  having  three  teeth 
upon  either  side  of  the  lower  mandible." 

"  I  have  seen  some  references  to  this  strange  bird," 
remarked  the  Professor ;  "  and  I  may  say  that  for  more 
than  two  centuries  past  the  few  remains  of  the  dodo 
known  to  the  scientific  world,  such  as  a  foot  or  a  head, 
together  with  some  paintings  made  of  it  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  have  been  preserved  in  European  muse- 
ums with  great  care,  and  have  been  regarded  as  of  great 
value.  Several  scientific  treatises  upon  it  have  been  con- 
tributed to  learned  societies  within  the  last  fifty  years, 
but  so  little  has  been  known  of  it  by  naturalists,  that  they 
have  not  been  agreed  as  to  what  family  it  belonged,  or 
what  were  its  habits." 

"  There  are  several  varieties  of  the  pigeon  family,  are 
there  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  the  inanuma  and  manutago  are  two  varieties  of 
cooing  doves,  of  green,  white,  and  golden  plumage,  with 
scarlet  crests.  The  native  pigeon  (lupi),  a  trifle  larger 
than  our  tame  species,  is  very  abundant.  Many  are 
tamed  and  carried  upon  sticks  by  native  chiefs." 

"  What  are  some  of  the  other  birds  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"I  can't   think   of    but  one   other  at  this   moment," 


THE  SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  443 

replied  the  Captain,  "  for  the  water-fowl  are  scarcely 
worthy  of  mention ;  but  the  kingfisher  is  a  small  bird  of 
exceedingly  beautiful  plumage." 

"  There  is  the  vampire  bat,"  suggested  the  Professor ; 
"  if  not  a  bird,  at  least,  it  has  wings." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  the  bat,  the  Profes- 
sor refers  to,  sometimes  called  the  flying-fox,  is  identical 
in  appearance  with  the  Pteropm  Edwardii  of  Madagas- 
car, and  is  very  abundant ;  once  it  was  considered  sacred, 
and  entered  very  largely  into  the  structure  of  their  rever- 
ential religion.  It  attains  great  size,  often  measuring 
four  feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  wings.  It  is  neither  carnivo- 
rous nor  insectivorous,  feeding,  as  it  does,  exclusively  on 
fruits." 

"  As  there  are  so  few  animals  and  birds,  I  hope  there  are 
no  reptiles,"  remarked  Eugene. 

"  There  are  no  poisonous  reptiles,"  said  the  Captain, 
"  but  there  is  a  considerable  variety  of  harmless  snakes 
upon  the  island  of  Savaii  — white,  red,  green,  black,  and 
spotted.  I  only  saw  them  at  this  island,  or  on  the  islets 
belonging  to  it,  and  it  was  here  that  I  learned  of  the 
'  crowing  snake.' " 

"  The  what?"  exclaimed  Eugene,  in  great  astonishment. 

"  The  crowing  snake,"  repeated  the  Captain.  "  There 
is  such  a  reptile,  without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  It  is 
the  subject  of  native  songs,  and  the  testimony  of  both 
whites  and  natives  points  directly  to  the  fact  that  they 
have  a  snake  which  crotvs  like  a  cock." 

"  Oh,  come,  come,  Captain !  That's  spreading  it  on  a 
little  too  thick,"  said  Eugene.  "  Remember,  we  're  going 
there." 

"  Well,  I  acknowledge  I  did  not  see  or  hear  one  my- 
self, and  the  apparent  physical  impossibility  of  such  an 
anomaly  made  me  skeptical,  but  the  unequivocal  testi- 


444  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

naony  of  the  missionaries  to  the  existence  of  such  a 
reptile  seems  too  strong  to  be  rejected." 

"  The  unequivocal  testimony  of  the  missionaries ! " 
repeated  Eugene.  "  Well,  that  settles  it,  I  suppose. 
But  I'm  really  afraid  I  can't  stand  any  more  to-day, 
Captain ;  and  so,  with  your  permission,  I'll  withdraw." 

"  Permission  is  granted,"  laughed  the  Captain ;  "  but 
as  we  can 't  get  along  without  you,  I  shall  follow  your 
example,"  and  so  the  party  broke  up. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  SAMOAN  ISLANDS  -  CONTINUED. 

IT  was  plain  enough  to  see,  next  morning,  that  the 
thoughts  of  all  were  turned  to  Samoa ;  and  hardly 
had  the  little  party  assembled  on  the  quarter-deck,  when 
Eugene,  who  had  had  ample  time  over  night  to  digest  the 
crow  ing-snake  story,  turned  to  the  Captain,  and  said : 

"  We  have  heard  something  about  the  islands,  the 
animals,  birds,  and  reptiles,  now  please  tell  us  about  the 
people  of  Samoa,  give  us  your  idea  oi  them,  Captain." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  Captain,  good  naturedly,  "  the 
Samoans,  as  you  well  know,  are  of  the  same  race  as  the 
Marquesans,  the  Tahitians,  the  Tongans,  the  Raratongans, 
the  Maories,  and  the  Hawaiians.  But  they  are  of  a 
better  type  than  any  of  these ;  far  better,  to  my  mind, 
than  the  Hawaiians,  whose  dark  skin  speaks  of  Papuan 
blood.  Never  subject  to  the  inroads  of  other  races  and 
consequent  admixture,  uncorrupted  and  unchanged,  they 
have  preserved  many  of  their  original  characteristics. 
The  face,  mind  you,  has  many  of  the  distinctive  marks 
of  the  European.  Generally  the  profile  is  decided  and 
the  facial  angle  distinct,  the  occiput  broad,  but  seldom 
elevated.  Unlike  the  Malay,  the  nose  is  never  artificially 
flattened,  deformity  of  person  never  having  been  practiced 
among  them.  The  nose  is  usually  straight,  but  not  so 
delicate  in  structure  as  that  of  the  whites;  the  mouth 
large,  and  the  lips  thicker  than  those  of  the  Europeans. 
The  profile  of  the  young  girls  is  often  very  pronounced ; 
the  hair  black,  soft,  and  sometimes  fine  and  wavy  —  never 

(445) 


446  THE    SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

crisp  and  curly  in  either  sex.  Among  the  men  beards 
are  not  so  general  as  among  the  whites ;  yet  many  have 
luxuriant  beards.  The  eye  is  black,  soft,  and  pleasing, 
giving  that  melancholy  air  and  *  meekness '  of  expression 
which  Humboldt  mentions  as  characteristic  of  the  island- 
ers of  the  Pacific.  The  skin  is  dark-olive,  resembling 
polished  copper,  presenting  no  difference  in  the  sexes, 
though  the  prominent  chiefs  and  better  families  are  much 
lighter,  with  smoother  skins.  They  are  also  taller  and 
more  symmetrical  in  person  than  the  common  people. 
The  infant  is  much  lighter  in  complexion  than  the  adult. 
The  male  Samoan  is  tall,  erect,  and  proud  in  bearing, 
with  smooth,  straight,  and  well-rounded  limbs,  the  con- 
tour of  person  seldom  presenting  muscular  protuberance 
or  development.  The  females  are  generally  slight,  es- 
pecially the  young  girls;  erect  and  symmetrical,  easy 
and  graceful  in  their  movements,  the  charm  of  light- 
heartcdness  seeming  to  follow  every  action." 

"  But  are  they  good-looking  ?  That 's  what  I  want  to 
know,"  said  Eugene,  a  little  impatiently. 

"  Beauty  of  feature,  my  dear  boy,  is  not  the  rule," 
replied  the  Captain,  "  though  many  of  the  village  maidens 
are  exceedingly  beautiful." 

"  Ah !  those  arc  the  ones  I  want  to  sec.  But  go  on, 
Captain." 

"  The  Samoan,"  continued  the  Captain,  "  does  not 
incline  to  obesity,  like  some  of  the  islanders  we  have 
met,  seldom,  in  fact,  losing  his  erect  bearing  and  round- 
ness of  limb  and  figure.  I  have  seen  more  than  one 
woman,  who,  at  fifty,  might  still  be  called  beautiful." 

"All  things  considered,  you  would  not  call  them  a 
warlike  people,  Captain?"  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"Though  internecine  war  has  often  desolated  the  is- 
lands, and  the  jealousy  of  districts,  chiefs,  and  families  is 
great,"  was  the  thoughtful  reply,  "  still  the  Samoans.  as 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  447 

a  people,  are  mild  and  peaceful  in  their  instincts,  mirth- 
loving,  generous,  and  happy  in  their  peaceful  state." 

"  I  judge,  from  what  you  said  yesterday,  that  they  do 
not  love  hard  work,"  said  Eugene. 

"  It  is  true  that,  though  possessing  superior  powers  of 
endurance  and  great  energy  in  action,  still,  as  a  race, 
they  shrink  from  labor  of  any  kind." 

"  There  are  no  very  rich  men  among  them,  I  suppose?" 
said  Chester. 

"  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  for  heretofore  they  have  been 
without  a  stimulus,  ambition  has  not  created  objective 
motives,  and  accumulation,  or  even  a  desire  to  amass 
wealth,  is  almost  foreign  to  their  natures.  Then,  too, 
communism  is  a  creed  among  them,  and  although  con- 
fined to  the  members  of  the  family,  this  has  been  an 
effectual  bar  to  the  accumulation  of  property." 

"You  spoke  of  caste,  among  them  yesterday,"  sug- 
gested Chester. 

"  Caste,"  said  the  Captain,  "  is  esteemed  a  fundamental 
basis  of  society,  but  with  gradations  in  families  heredi- 
tary, and  gaining  in  pride  and  power  with  each  succeed- 
ing generation.  To  a  stranger  there  are  no  outward 
evidences  of  caste,  except  in  stature  and  physical  beauty. 
The  house  and  household  appointments  of  the  common 
man  differ  but  little  from  those  of  the  chiefs.  He,  with 
the  least  pride  of  family,  owns  his  tract  of  land,  has  his 
bread-fruit  tree,  taboos  his  cocoanut  tree,  cultivates  his 
own  taro-patch,  and  paddles  his  canoe  as  free  as  the 
greatest  ruler ;  but  he  looks  to  his  chief  for  protection, 
obeys  his  mandates,  and  is  his  cheerful  follower  and 
servitor  in  time  of  war." 

"  The  people,  I  know,  feel  the  greatest  respect  for  their 
superiors,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain,  "  there  are  many  families 
which  command  profound  respect,  such  as  that  of  Leuina- 


448 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 


nu,  a  chief  of  Apia,  the  well-known  Malietoa  and  the 
female  branch  of  the  family  Tooa.  These  names  are 
associated  with  the  history  and  traditions  of  the  Samoans. 
There  is  a  reverence  felt  for  and  attached  to  them,  and 


LEUMANU,    CHIEF   OF   APIA. 

the  poorest  man  in  Samoa  knows  the  hereditary  prestige 
of  such  a  name." 

"  The  Samoans  are  very  polite,  are  they  not  ?  "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Especially  so,"  was  the  answer.  "  In  meetings  and 
councils  much  time  is  consumed  in  acts  of  courtesy  and 
in  the  interchange  of  compliments.  When  a  chief  or  a 


THE   SAMOA N 


distinguished  stranger  goes  through  a  village  all  noises 
cease.  Traveling  parties,  malaga,  are  hospitably  received 
and  entertained.  In  their  general  intercourse  violence, 
or  even  rudeness,  is  unknown.  Women  are  the  equals 


FANTULIA,    WIFE   OF   LEUMANU. 

of  men,  except  in  government.  The  father  carries  the 
child  as  much  as  the  mother,  and  joins  in  the  preparation 
of  food  and  in  cooking.  Labor  is  generally  divided  be- 
tween them,  excepting  out-door  work.  A  woman  carries 
a  burden,  or  paddles  a  boat  only  from  choice,  and  her 
hardest  labor  is  the  manufacture  of  native  cloth,  which 
I  have  already  mentioned." 


450  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

"  But  the  women  make  themselves  useful  in  time  of 
war,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain.  "  In  time  of  war  women 
are  emissaries,  going  from  fort  to  fort  unmolested.  Her 
person  -is  always  sacred,  as  also  are  children." 

"  In  every  village,  some  particular  maiden  holds  the 
most  prominent  position,  I  have  heard,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Captain  ;  "  a  chief's  daughter  is 
often  the  maid  of  the  village.  She  is  reverenced  by  her 
people,  though  not  governing  them,  and  really  occupies 
an  exalted  position." 

"  They  are  a  virtuous  people,  are  they  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Eminently  so,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  indeed,  with  them 
virtue  is  a  creed  more  powerful  than  caste,  and  was 
religiously  observed  before  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity. With  the  higher  classes  it  is  held  more  sacredly 
than  among  the  lower.  The  maid  of  a  village  is  rever- 
enced more  as  a  virgin  than  as  a  chiefs  daughter/' 

"  But,  Captain,"  objected  Eugene,  "  I  have  heard  some- 
thing of  their  night-dances  that  hardly  seems  consistent 
with  what  you  say." 

"  I  admit  that  their  night>dances  too  nearly  approach 
in  character  those  of  the  other  islanders,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain. "  Often  they  are  lascivious  exhibitions,  and  after 
midnight  grossly  sensual ;  but  I  maintain  they  are  not 
proofs  of  practical  licentiousness." 

"  I  don't  see  what  stronger  proof  you  could  ask  for ; 
but  let  that  pass,  and  tell  me,  is  polyandry  practiced 
among  them  ?  " 

"  Never ;  but  polygamy  is  common,  though  two  wives 
seldom  live  in  the  same  house.  Often,  indeed,  the  hus- 
band, when  he  takes  a  second  wife,  sends  the  first  back 
to  her  people." 

"  Have  they  adopted  the  dress  of  the  whites  ? "  asked 
Chester. 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  451 

"Not  extensively,"  was  the  reply ;  " but  the  disposition 
to  do  so  is  growing,  and  in  their  efforts  to  don  the  new 
costume  many  ludicrous  scenes  are  presented." 

"  I  suppose  it  is  the  women  who  are  most  anxious  for 
the  change  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  Captain  ;  "  the  men  wear  foreign 
clothing  only  on  special  occasions,  and  this  consists  of 
army  and  navy  uniforms  which  certain  chiefs  have  ac- 
quired from  trading  vessels  and  men-of-war,  and  which 
they  are  fond  of  displaying." 

"  Do  they  still  practice  tattooing?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer,  "  and  it  is  universal  in  the 
islands,  but  does  not  mark  distinction  among  the  people, 
as  with  the  Maoris.  The  operation  is  generally  performed 
on  quite  a  number  at  the  same  time,  in  fact,  all  the  com- 
panions of  the  chiefs  son.  When,  for  instance,  the  son 
of  the  chief  arrives  at  the  proper  age,  say  about  eighteen, 
all  the  young  men  of  his  tribe  assemble  to  partake  with 
him  of  the  tattoo,  which  is  to  transform  them  from  youths 
into  men.  There  is  quite  a  ceremony,  or  rather  a  series 
of  ceremonies,  for  the  occasion.  The  operator  or  matai, 
is  a  man  of  great  influence,  and  his  services  have  to  be 
requested  in  regular  form,  accompanied  by  a  present 
of  fine  mats.  His  acceptance  of  the  mats  ratifies  the 
bargain,  though  no  regular  charge  is  made.  On  the 
appointed  day,  the  young  men  and  their  friends  meet  in 
a  house  agreed  upon,  and  more  mats  are  presented  to  the 
matai ;  if  they  are  wealthy,  they  sometimes  give  him  a 
canoe.  The  friends  of  the  young  men  on  these  occasions 
supply  provisions  as  long  as  the  operation  lasts. 

"  All  being  ready,  the  young  chief  lies  on  his  face  in 
front  of  the  operator,  and  places  his  head  in  the  lap  of 
his  sister  or  some  other  'female  relation,  while  three  or 
four  young  women  hold  his  limbs,  and  sing  at  the  top  of 
their  voices,  in  order  to  drown  any  groans  or  cries  he 
19 


452 


THE  SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 


may  utter.  This  is  done  out  of  consideration  for  his 
reputation,  as  it  is  thought  unworthy  of  the  state  of  man- 
hood to  utter  a  sound.  Still,  the  pain  is  so  intense  that 


the  young  men  often  do  utter  groans,  and  sometimes 
actually  cry  out  in  agony." 

41  Do  they  ever  get  frightened  and  hack  out?"  asked 
Eugene. 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  453 

"  There  have  been  a  few  instances  where  they  have 
been  so  utterly  overcome  with  the  pain  that,  after  they 
have  been  released  they  have  not  dared  to  submit  them- 
selves again  to  the  operation;  in  such  cases  they  are 
despised  for  life  as  cowards. 

"  About  an  hour  is  given  to  each  patient  at  one  time, 
when  he  rises  and  another  takes  his  place.  In  a  week 
or  so,  the  turn  of  the  first  comes  round  again,  and  so  the 
process  is  continued  for  three  or  four  months,  according 
to  the  number,  not  more  than  five  being  operated  on  in  a 
single  day." 

"  Besides  manufacturing  native  cloth  and  cultivating 
the  yam  and  taro,  to  what  do  they  give  most  of  their 
attention  ? "  asked  Chester,  who  was  not  much  interested 
in  tattooing. 

"  To  the  building  of  houses,  stone  fences,  canoes,  making 
fine  mats,  fishing,  and  collecting  food,"  answered  the 
Captain. 

"  Give  us  some  idea  of  the  houses,  if  you  please." 

"  They  are  generally  built  of  the  wood  of  the  bread- 
fruit tree.  A  circle  of  posts  surrounds  a  central  pillar, 
which  supports  longitudinal  beams.  Upon  these  the 
framework  of  the  roof  is  built,  consisting  of  light  sticks, 
nicely  spliced,  making  a  succession  of  circles.  These 
circles  are  again  crossed  at  right-angles  by  other  sticks, 
and  the  whole  is  sewed  together  with  sennit,  the  roof 
making  a  semicircle  or  inverted  bowl,  covered  with  thatch 
of  sugar-cane  leaves  and  fa',  the  space  between  the  outer 
circle  of  posts  being  open,  though  supplied  with  matting 
for  walls,  which  are  raised  and  lowered  in  fold,  as  a 
Venetian  blind.  The  floor  is  slightly  elevated  above  the 
ground,  and  covered  with  pebbles,  upon  which  mats  are 
spread.  In  the  center  is  a  small  stone  fire-place,  though 
but  little  used,  as  cooking  is  done  in  ovens  or  out-build- 
ings erected  for  the  purpose.  The  houses  are  neat  and 


454 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 


clean,  and  kept  in  good  order.     Large  sleeping-screens 
divide  the  members  of  the  family  at  night." 


"  I  suppose  they  have  public  buildings,  like  the  mane- 
abas  of  the  Gilbert  Islands?"  said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 
"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  in  every  village  is  a 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  455 

town-house,  used  for  the  reception  of  visitors  and  their 
entertainment." 

"  They  excel  in  the  construction  of  water-crafts,  do 
they  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  They  do,  indeed,"  was  the  reply.  "  There  is  the  alia, 
a  double  war-canoe,  often  a  hundred  feet  in  length.  The 
hull  is  made  from  a  species  of  teak,  the  planks  hewn  out 
and  fitted  together,  the  length  of  the  planks  not  being 
considered.  These  are  sewed  together  from  the  inside 
through  curved  holes,  the  whole  fastened  to  heavy  frame- 
work. Not  a  nail  or  pin  is  used  in  the  entire  construc- 
tion. The  outer  surface  of  the  hull  is  smooth  and  of 
great  uniformity.  The  amatasi  or  traveling  boat  is  much 
like  the  alia,  but  smaller,  slighter,  and  more  graceful,  the 
upper  work  of  the  hull  is  often  beautifully  carved.  They 
are  justly  celebrated  for  their  speed  and  the  closeness 
with  which  they  '  lay  to  the  wind.'  The  taumaulua  is  the 
common  village  carrying  boat ;  it  is  deep,  has  two  bows, 
and  carries  one  sail,  though  usually  propelled  by  paddles. 
It  is  built  after  the  model  of  a  whale-boat,  and  though 
unknown  until  recently,  is  now  in  general  use.  The 
universal  craft,  however,  is  the  single  canoe,  with  out- 
rigger, hewn  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  of  all  sizes. 
The  outrigger,  as  you  well  know,  is  a  long  stick  pointed 
and  lying  parallel  with  the  canoe,  and  fastened  to  it  by 
horizontal  spars.  It  requires  practice  and  dexterity  to 
manage  it  successfully ;  but  in  it  the  native  is  at  his 
ease,  men,  women,  and  even  children  showing  marvelous 
expertness." 

"  But  they  have  a  special  canoe  for  the  bonito  fishing, 
I  have  heard,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Ah,  yes,  the  vaaala"  returned  the  Captain ;  " and 
that  is  the  craft  which  most  tests  their  skill.  I  assure 
you,  when  they  are  on  the  water,  both  canoe  and  crew 
are  always  objects  of  admiration.  It  is  a  single  boat, 


456  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

with  outrigger,  built  of  planks  nicely  jointed ;  the  model 
an  imitation  of  the  lower  half  of  the  bonito,  the  point  of 
the  outrigger  level  with  the  bow  of  the  boat." 

"  The  sport  of  taking  the  bonito  must  be  very  exciting," 
remarked  Eugene. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  returned  the  Captain.  "  The  position 
of  a  school  of  the  fish  is  known  by  the  sea-birds  hovering 
over  them.  Instantly  the  boats  are  launched,  sometimes 
a  flotilla.  No  storm  deters  the  fishermen  from  their  pur- 
pose. Their  boats  mount  the  reef-breakers,  and  seem  to 
leap  over  the  tumbling  waves  beyond.  Both  sail  and 
paddle  are  used,  the  crew  consisting  of  three  persons. 
The  fisherman  is  equipped  with  a  bamboo  rod,  line,  and 
shell-hook,  with  feathers  on  the  hook,  which  is  trailed  on 
the  surface  of  the  water.  They  are  very  expert  in  taking 
the  fish,  and  never  return  empty-handed." 

"  Is  the  bonito  canoe  a  fast  sailor  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Its  speed  is  something  extraordinary,"  was  the  reply. 

"  They  must  take  great  pains  in  making  them,"  re- 
marked Chester. 

"They  do,"  said  the  Captain.  "They  are  made  of 
ulu,  the  bread-fruit  wood,  and  are  all  exactly  alike.  They 
are  sewed  with  sennit,  and  furnished  with  sails.  The 
making  of  the  masts  is  done  exclusively  by  women,  in 
which  they  show  great  dexterity  and  exercise  remarkable 
patience." 

"  What  are  the  *  great  days '  I  have  heard  mentioned 
by  persons  in  speaking  of  Samoa  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  They  are  Tatele  and  Tatelcga,  and  really  they  are 
great  days,  too.  They  are  the  first  and  second  days  of 
palolo,  and  occur  in  the  latter  part  of  October.  The 
palolo  is  a  sea-worm,  which  appears  on  two  successive 
days  in  every  year  in  some  of  the  openings  of  the  reefs, 
appearing  at  daylight,  and  disappearing  with  the  rising 
of  the  sun.  These  marine  worms  are  about  eighteen  or 


THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS.  457 

twenty  inches  in  length,  are  highly  esteemed  for  food  by 
the  natives,  and  are  taken  in  vast  quantities  by  them. 
They  seem  to  understand  the  precise  day  when  they  will 
appear,  claiming  that  the  day  before  their  appearance  the 
land  and  robber  crabs  leave  the  interior  and  seek  the  salt 
water.  Before  dawn  every  native  is  astir.  Every  craft 
capable  of  bearing  man,  woman,  or  child  is  brought  into 
requisition,  and  the  reef-passages  at  dawn  of  day  are  alive 
with  canoes  and  noisy  with  exuberant  life." 

"  Their  language  is  very  pleasing  to  the  ear,  is  it  not?" 
asked  Chester. 

"The  language  is  soft  and  harmonious,"  replied  the 
Captain,  "  and  what  it  will  please  Eugene  to  know,  is 
easily  attained  by  English-speaking  people.  At  first  you 
may  think  there  are  two  languages.  In  that  case  you 
will  be  mistaken.  But  there  are  delicate  terms,  expres- 
sive of  respect,  used  in  speaking  to  a  chief,  though  a 
chief  never  uses  them  in  speaking  of  himself.  The  adult 
speaks  slowly  and  somewhat  cautiously,  while  the  chil- 
dren are  rapid  in  their  utterance.  Prominent  chiefs 
have  what  are  termed  '  talking-men,'  who  are  mediums, 
through  whom  they  communicate  their  wishes  and  trans- 
act business.  On  great  occasions  the  orator  leans  upon 
a  staff,  speaking  in  a  deliberate  manner,  and  is  listened 
to  with  attention  and  in  silence." 

"  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  the  Samoan  is  the  only 
Polynesian  language  having  a  word  to  express  thanks  or 
gratitude,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  So  far  as  my  observation  goes,  that  is  true,"  returned 
the  Captain.  "  The  expression  is  faafetai;  and  certainly 
they  are  unceasing  in  its  use." 

"  The  language  is  allegorical,  and  generally  oriental  in 
style,  is  it  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  they  usually  express  their 
thoughts  in  figurative  language." 


458  THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS. 

"  It  has  been  reduced  to  writing,  I  am  glad  to  know," 
remarked  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  through  the  labors  of  the  missionaries,"  said  the 
Captain,  "  and  it  is  now  difficult  to  find  a  child  over  seven 
years  of  age  who  cannot  read;  while  the  greater  portion 
of  the  adult  population  both  read  and  write." 

"  From  what  was  said  yesterday,  I  take  it  very  little  is 
known  of  the  early  history  of  Samoa,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Nothing  is  definitely  known,"  replied  the  Captain. 
"  There  are  native  traditions  of  their  race,  to  be  sure,  but 
they  are  exceedingly  vague.  They  have  a  few  6  fine  mats,' 
and  a  great '  talking-staff,'  which  are  claimed  to  be  several 
hundred  years  old.  In  treasuring  such  relics  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  there  seems  to  be  some  historical 
precision ;  but  the  ruins  I  told  you  of  yesterday,  and  the 
roads  and  the  causeways  of  Savaii,  of  which  I  did  not 
speak,  are  as  a  sealed  book  to  them.  Ask  them  who 
built  them,  and  like  the  natives  of  Kusaie,  they  will  an- 
swer, '  The  evil  or  good  spirits.' " 

"  What !  have  n't  they  thrown  aside  their  old  supersti- 
tions, yet  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  No ;  and  though  Christians,  they  are  still  believers  in 
their  crude  mythological  history.  Why,  every  island, 
mountain,  and  many  trees,  fruits,  birds,  and  fishes  have 
associated  with  them  some  mythological  tradition,  and 
their  mythology,  though  not  so  symmetrical  or  instructive 
as  that  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  is  scarcely  less  pleas- 
ing. The  origin  of  every  great  family-name  has  a  curious 
mythical  tradition,  and  with  these  all  the  natives  are 
familiar." 

"  Has  it  been  mentioned  who  discovered  the  islands  ? " 
asked  Chester ;  "  if  so,  I  have  forgotten." 

"  They  were  first  discovered  by  the  Dutch  '  three-ship 
expedition/  commanded  by  Rozenwein,  in  1772,"  said 
the  Professor,  as  the  Captain  did  not  answer.  "  La 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  459 

Perouse  touched  at  the  Island  of  Tutuila  in  1787,  when 
the  commander  of  one  of  his  vessels,  M.  de  Langle,  and 
a  boat's  crew  of  eleven  men,  were  killed  by  the  natives 
on  the  north  shore  of  the  island,  nearly  opposite  Pago- 
Pago.  A  small  estuary  still  retains  the  name  '  Massacre 
Bay,'  though  it  is  three  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
massacre." 

"Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  "the  natives  still  preserve 
the  tradition  of  that  sad  occurrence,  and  speak  of  it  with 
a  sense  of  shame,  but  very  naturally  they  throw  the 
blame  on  the  French." 

"  No  doubt  they  were  much  to  blame,"  rejoined  the 
Professor ;  "  but  they  were  able  to  give  the  Samoans  a 
bad  name,  and  the  islands  were  avoided  until  1830,  when 
the  martyr  Williams,  of  whom  we  have  before  spoken, 
landed  at  Sopapalii,  on  the  island  of  Savaii,  and  left 
teachers  from  other  groups  among  them.  By  1838  the 
people  were  Christianized,  and  Williams  then  testified 
that  the  Samoan  far  surpassed  the  Tahitian  in  amiability 
of  character,  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  and  in  the 
facility  with  which  the  children  learned  to  read  and 
write." 

"  What  is  the  present  population  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Not  much  above  39,000,"  answered  the  Professor ; 
"  and  of  these,  more  than  35,500  are  Protestants,  5,000 
of  the  number  belonging  to  the  Wesleyan  Church,  and 
3,000  to  3,500  are  Roman  Catholics." 

"  You  mentioned  their  '  fine  mats,'  Captain,"  said 
Chester.  "  They  set  a  high  value  on  these  mats,  do  they 
not?" 

"  The  '  ie,'  or  '  fine  mat '  of  the  Samoan,  is  a  matter 
somewhat  difficult  to  explain,"  answered  the  Captain, 
slowly.  "  It  enters  more  largely  into  all  the  political 
ramifications  of  the  people  than  any  creed,  custom,  or 
tradition  which  they  have  ever  held.  It  protects  caste, 
19* 


460  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

fosters  the  ignorant  thralldom  of  the  people,  and  alone 
serves  to  perpetuate  barbaric  prejudices.  A  husband  will 
leave  his  wife  for  another,  with  no  other  motive  than  the 
acquisition  of  a  *  fine  mat.'  War  may  be  declared  and 
peace  made  for  the  possession  of  a  sacred  mat.  Families 
count  their  wealth,  and  all  personal  and  real  estate  is 
computed  by  '  fine  mats.'  Chiefs  and  families  have  '  fine 
mats,'  but  only  districts  and  governments  have  sacred 
mats.  The  most  sacred  mat  is  the  emblem  of  the  na- 
tionality of  the  islands,  and  its  surrender  would  be  a 
virtual  surrender  of  the  nation.  The  history  and  sacred- 
ness  of  this  mat  are  known  to  most  islanders  of  the 
Pacific." 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  something  about  Manua,"  said 
Chester ;  "  it  seems  to  me  it  must  be  a  most  interesting 
spot." 

"With  the  exception  of  Rose  Island,"  answered  the 
Captain,  "  Manua  is  the  easternmost  island  of  the  group. 
It  is  nearly  circular  in  form,  that  portion  exposed  to  the 
southeast  trades  presenting  a  bold  basaltic  front,  rising 
precipitously  to  a  height  of  over  two  thousand  feet.  The 
remainder  of  the  island  is  protected  by  coral  reefs. 
Upon  the  north  is  the  village  of  Faleasao,  with  good 
anchorage,  except  during  a  norther.  Tau,  the  principal 
village  of  the  island,  is  upon  the  western  shore,  looking 
toward  Oloosiga,  without  a  harbor,  and  the  roadstead 
insecure.  This  is  the  residence  of  the  high  chief  or 
king,  who  has  jurisdiction  over  Manua,  Oloosiga,  and 
Ofoo.  On  the  north  and  west  there  is  a  narrow  belt  of 
flat  land  next  the  water,  covered  with  cocoanut  trees. 
Ascending  the  mountain  from  this  belt,  small  plateaus 
afre  found  prolific  in  bread-fruit  and  bananas ;  the  soil 
rich,  and  moistened  by  frequent  showers,  the  entire  is- 
land clothed  with  vegetation  to  the  mountain-summits. 
There  are  no  living  streams  on  the  island ;  a  few  springs 


THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS.  461 

of  brackish  water,  at  the  sea-level,  and  cocoanut  milk 
supplying  the  necessities  of  the  people." 

"  I  should  think  it  would  require  a  large  number  of 
cocoanuts,"  commented  Eugene. 

"  Why,  my  dear  fellow,"  said  the  Captain,  "  this  island 
produces  the  largest  cocoanuts  in  the  world.  The  Man- 
uan  cocoanut-shells  are  used  for  water  vessels  throughout 
the  group,  and  have  always  been  highly  prized  by  other 
islanders.  Why,  a  single  green  nut  often  furnishes  more 
than  half  a  gallon  of  milk,  or,  perhaps,  more  properly, 
water.  The  natives  of  Manua  are  exceedingly  primitive, 
and  have  but  little  intercourse  with  the  outer  world.  All 
are  Christians,  and  the  white-walled  church  in  the  center 
of  the  village  is  a  conspicuous  object  to  a  passing  vessel. 
The  native  traders  carry  their  oil  and  copra  in  open 
canoes  to  Apia  or  Pago-Pago  for  barter." 

"  You  mentioned  Rose  Island,"  said  Chester.  "  I  don't 
remember  having  heard  the  name  before." 

"  It  is  merely  a  small,  angular  coral  reef,  just  above 
water,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  and  is  the  easternmost  of 
all  the  group.  A  Mr.  Weber  bought  it  for  one  hundred 
dollars  in  trade,  some  years  ago,  to  plant  cocoanut  trees 
on,  but  they  all  died,  as  there  was  too  much  guano.  It 
is  a  great  resort  for  birds,  turtle,  and  fish." 

"  Tutuila  is  quite  an  important  island,  is  it  not  ?  "  asked 
Chester. 

"  It  is  the  third  island  in  the  group  in  size  and 
importance,"  replied  the  Captain.  "  It  is  sixty-two  miles 
west  of  Manua,  and  is  high  and  mountainous,  with  preci- 
pices rising  from  the  ocean  to  a  height  of  from  1,200,  to 
upward  of  2,300  feet.  Its  western  end,  which  is  lower, 
is  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  is  thickly  set- 
tled. There  are  many  good  ports  on  the  north  side  of 
the  island,  but  the  best  is  Pago-Pago,  or  Pango-Pango, 
on  the  south  side,  It  is  completely  land-locked,  lias  an 


462  THE  SAMOAN  ISLANDS. 

entrance  clear  of  rocks,  and  water  enough  to  float  the 
largest  vessels.  At  the  base  of  the  precipitous  moun- 
tains, which  surround  the  bay,  native  houses  in  small 
villages  cluster.  It  is  one  of  the  safest  and  best  harbors 
in  the  Pacific,  and,  being  on  the  direct  steamship  route 
between  America  and  Australia,  must  become,  at  no  dis- 
tant day,  a  very  important  port." 

"  Is  not  Pago-Pago  the  very  harbor  which  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  United  States  some  time  ago?"  asked 
.Chester. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  "  in  1872,  Commander 
Richard  W.  Meade,  of  the  United  States  steamer  Narra- 
gansett,  made  a  treaty  with  Maunga,  the  principal  chief 
of  Le  Fagaloa,  and  others,  in  which  this  splendid  harbor 
was  given  up  to  our  government." 

"  Well,  I  hope  we  shall  always  retain  possession  of  it," 
said  Eugene.  "  And  now  let  me  ask  about  the  island 
and  port  to  which  we  are  bound." 

"  Upolu,"  replied  the  Captain,  "  is  forty  miles  west  of 
Tutuila,  and  in  population  and  resources  is  the  most 
important  island  of  the  group.  The  bay  of  Fagaloa,  on 
the  north  side,  could,  by  improvement,  be  made  a  valua- 
ble harbor ;  but  perhaps  it  would  not  be  worth  the  trouble 
as  it  is  so  near  the  port  of  Apia.  The  inner  passage 
between  the  reef  and  shore  at  high  water  insures  easy 
communication  for  small  boats,  and  such  bays  as  Fagaloa, 
except  during  a  gale,  afford  sufficiently  good  anchorage 
for  vessels  acting  as  tenders  to  ships  taking  in  cargo  at 
some  secure  central  port." 

"  I  suppose  Apia  has  a  very  good  harbor  ? "  said 
Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  It  is  similar  to  that  of  Honolulu,"  replied  the  Cap- 
tain ;  "  the  anchorages  are  from  six  to  fourteen  fathoms 
of  water.  The  removal  of  a  few  coral  rocks  near  the 
shore  would  add  greatly  to  harbor  facilities,  while  a  half 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  463 

mile  of  wharfs  could  be  built,  which,  with  a  sea-wall^ 
would  render  the  port  a  secure  and  valuable  depot,  as 
well  as  a  general  maritime  resort.  The  richness  of  the 
soil,  the  varied  resources,  capable  of  supporting  a  large 
population,  and  its  central  position  as  to  population  and 
area,  make  Apia  the  natural  entre"p6t  for  Samoa." 

"There  are  many  foreigners  at  Apia,  are  there  not?" 
asked  Eugene. 

"  The  white  population  numbers  more  than  two  hun- 
dred," was  the  reply. 

"  What  are  they  chiefly  ? " 

"  German  and  English,  though  there  are  many  Ameri- 
cans. It  is  the  residence  of  English,  American,  and 
German  consuls,  while  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  acts 
as  representative  of  the  French  government.  It  is  the 
headquarters  for  the  Pacific  Islands  of  a  great  Hamburg 
commercial  house,  and  several  American  enterprises  are 
just  starting.  The  foreign  residents  are  mostly  traders 
from  the  colonies,  with  small  stores  and  liquor-saloons, 
trading  with  natives,  and  living,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  worse 
than  useless  lives,  having  no  sympathy  with  the  natives, 
and  for  selfish  purposes  ever  ready  to  foment  trouble 
among  them." 

Eugene  was  about  to  speak,  but  just  at  that  moment 
came  a  welcome  diversion,  it  was  the  cry  of  'Land ho!' 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  starting  to  his  feet, 
that  is  Tutuila."  And  rapidly  the  volcanic  peaks  of  the 
beautiful  isle  came  into  view. 

As  they  drew  nearer,  Eugene  exclaimed : 

"  Why,  Captain,  it  is  much  larger  than  I  thought." 

"  It  is  seventeen  miles  long  and  from  two  to  five  wide," 
returned  the  Captain. 

"  What  a  number  of  pretty  villages  we  can  see,"  re- 
marked the  young  man  presently. 


464  THE    SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

"  There  are  just  forty-three  on  the  island,  and  each  is 
governed  by.  an  independent  chief,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Forty-three  island  villages  ! "  repeated  Eugene,  "  and 
each  one  as  lovely  as  a  dre'am ! " 

But  the  steamer  was  under  full  headway,  and  Tutuila 
was  soon  left  far  astern.  All  thoughts  were  now  turned 
to  Upolu,  and  some  hours  later  they  were  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  island ;  but  it  was  now  night,  and  they  did  not 
enter  the  splendid  harbor  of  Apia  until  the  next  morning. 

In  less  than  an  hour  after  they  had  landed  Eugene  had 
made  up  his  mind  that  there  were  many  more  Americans 
in  the  town  than  the  Captain  had  led  him  to  suppose. 
And  in  this  he  was  right ;  for  within  a  comparatively 
short  period  a  considerable  number  of  our  countrymen 
had  been  induced  to  settle  there,  believing  that  the  time 
would  soon  come  when  the  group  would  be  under  the  full 
protection  of  the  United  States. 

Having  first  called  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Morris 
Davis,  a  warm  personal  friend  of  the  Captain  —  in  fact, 
the  one  who  had  explored  the  ruins  and  the  caverns  with 
him  —  they  proceeded  to  the  United  States  consulate, 
where  they  found  Mr.  Griffin,  the  consul,  and  a  large 
number  of  letters  and  newspapers  from  home. 

Having  craved  and  received  the  consul's  permission, 
they  opened  and  read  their  precious  letters,  and  Chester 
soon  became  particularly  interested  in  one  which  had 
every  appearance  of  having  been  penned  by  a  female 
hand.  Eugene,  after  casting  several  inquiring  glances  at 
his  brother,  at  length  softly  whispered  : 

"  A  ten-dollar  gold  piece  that  it 's  from  Gracie,  my 
boy." 

"Well,  and  what  then?"  asked  Chester,  flushing  vio- 
lently. 

"  What  then  ?  Why,  nothing ;  only  don't  let  it  give 
you  the  blues ;  that 's  all." 


THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS.  467 

"  Its  effect  will  be  very  far  from  that,  I  promise  you," 
said  Chester;  "  indeed,  it  contains  an  assurance  that  I 
might  not  have  received  —  at  least,  not  so  soon,  had  I 
remained  quietly  at  home." 

"  Then  there  is  so  much  more  to  be  set  down  to  the 
credit  of  the  expedition,"  laughed  Eugene. 

While  the  brothers  were  thus  engaged,  Captain  Brad- 
ford had  been  glancing  over  a  New  York  paper.  Sud- 
denly throwing  it  down  and  turning  to  the  consul,  he 
asked : 

"Is  there  any  truth  in  the  report  that  Germany  is 
laying  her  plans  to  take  possession  of  these  islands,  Mr. 
Griffin?" 

"  I  fear  there  is  only  too  much  truth  in  it,"  was  the 
regretful  reply. 

"  What !  will  the  United  States  permit  it  ? " 

"  It  seems  to  me,  in  that  line,  our  country  will  permit 
almost  anything.  I  can  only  judge  the  future  by  the 
past,  you  know." 

"  But,  Mr.  Griffin,"  objected  Mr.  Davis,  "you  forget  the 
triple  agreement." 

"  To  what  do  you  refer  ? "  asked  the  Captain. 

"Why,  the  United  States,  England,  and  Germany  have 
a  treaty,  mutually  guaranteeing  the  independence  of 
Samoa." 

"  True,"  assented  the  consul ;  "  and  that  treaty  has 
yet  several  years  to  run,  unless  terminated  by  mutual 
agreement." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Captain,  "  the  English  seem  to  be 
growing  very  suspicious,  any  way.  Here  is  what  one  of 
their  newspapers  says,"  and  taking  up  the  journal,  he 
read : 

" '  Germany  is  rapidly  increasing  her  trade  in  Poly- 
nesia. This  trade  began  in  the  Samoan  Islands  and  has 
extended  on  all  sides.  The  chief  commercial  port  of  the 


468  THE   SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

Germans-  is  Apia,  in  the  Island  of  Upolu.  The  largest 
Teutonic  population  is  found  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  the 
number  now  exceeding  1,000.  At  Honolulu  alone  there 
are  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  German  mer- 
chants, and  seventy-two  out  of  eighty-two  sugar  planta- 
tions are  in  German  hands.  The  trade  between  Oceanica 
and  Hamburg  is  said  to  amount  to  nearly  $1,000,000  per 
annum.  Prince  Bismarck,  it  is  said,  has  fully  determined 
to  gain  a  permanent  foothold  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
and  the  indications  are  that  his  iron  grasp  will  fall  upon 
Samoa.' " 

"  All  that  you  have  read  about  the  growing  German 
trade  in  Polynesia,  is  quite  true,"  said  Mr.  Griffin  ;  "  and 
there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  Bismarck's  palm 
fairly  itches  to  grasp  these  rich  and  lovely  isles." 

"  I  trust  the  day  is  far  distant  when  he  will  do  so,  at 
any  rate,"  rejoined  the  Captain. 

"  Well,  Bradford,"  said  Mr.  Davis,  after  a  pause,  "  it  is 
nearly  noon,  and  I  want  you  and  your  friends  to  return 
to  my  house  with  me.  We  shall  find  a  gentleman  there 
whom  you  will  be  glad  to  see." 

"  Who,  pray  ? "  asked  the  master  of  the  Albatross, 
wonderingly. 

"  Do  you  remember  Captain  Watson  ?  " 

"What!  James  Watson  of  the  Neptune?" 

"  The  same." 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  Well,  he  arrived  in  port  only  yesterday,  and  he  has  a 
passenger  with  him,  a  professor  in  one  of  your  New  Eng- 
land colleges,  T  believe." 

"  What 's  that  ?"  asked  Professor  Singleton,  with  eager 
interest.  "  Do  you  recall  his  name,  sir?" 

"Gregory  —  Professor  William  Gregory,  if  I'm  not 
mistaken." 

"  Well,  well ! "   exclaimed  the  palaeontologist,  highly 


THE  SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  469 

excited,  "  this  is  fortunate.  From  our  own  college,  my 
young  friends.  Only  think  of  it.  What  a  delightful 
meeting !  Let  us  go  at  once,  I  beg." 

"  One  moment,"  smiled  the  Captain,  "  you  quite  forget 
the  main  object  of  our  visit  here."  Then  turning  to  the 
consul :  "  Mr.  Griffin,  does  it  so  happen  that  you  have  at 
any  time  come  in  contact  with  one  George  Thompson,  a 
sort  of  trader  among  the  islands  ? " 

"  Thompson  —  George  Thompson,"  mused  the  consul. 
"Does  he  own  a  small  and  fast-sailing  schooner  —  the 
Rover,  I  think  it  is  called  ?  " 

"  That 's  the  man." 

"  Well,  then.  I  saw  him  this  very  day.  He  came  here 
from  Nine,  I  believe." 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  the  brothers,  in  a  breath,  "  he  is 
in  this  town  now  ?  " 

"  Not  quite  so  fast,  my  friends,"  smiled  the  consul.  "  I 
did  not  say  that.  He  was  here ;  and  I  saw  him  less  than 
an  hour  before  you  called." 

"  What  luck ! "  cried  Eugene.     "And  where  is  he  now  ?" 

"  He  has  gone  to  Pago-Pago  in  the  little  vessel  which 
brought  him  here." 

"  Captain,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  turning  to  the  com- 
mander of  the  yacht,  "  you  remember  the  craft  that  was 
getting  under  way  just  as  we  came  ashore  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  remember." 

"  Well,  that  was  the  vessel.     I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  Without  Ihe  shadow  of  a  doubt,"  agreed  the  consul. 
. "  Then  let  us  start  for  Pago-Pago  at  once,"  said  Eugene, 
promptly. 

"  Better  remain  where  you  are,"  advised  the  consul. 
"  He  expects  the  Rover  here  in  a  day  or  so,  to  take  him 
to  Tonga,  and  will  return  to-morrow.  If  you  undertake 
to  follow  him,  you  only  run  the  risk  of  missing  him ; 
and  if  you  wish  very  much  to  see  him,  your-  best  course 


470  THE    SAMOAN    ISLANDS. 

will  be  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  Rover,  and  when 
she  arrives,  keep  an  eye  on  her.  In  that  way  you  are 
pretty  sure  to  nail  him." 

"  That 's  it ! "  agreed  the  Captain ;  "  and  that 's  just 
what  we  will  do.  And  now,  as  we  have  already  taken 
up  too  much  of  your  valuable  time,  Mr.  Griffin,  we  will 
transfer  the  infliction  to  my  friend  Davis,  here." 

"  I  can  stand  it,"  laughed  Mr.  Davis ;  "  so  come  along, 
or  I  fear  Captain  Watson  and  the  Professor  will  be  get- 
ting impatient." 

So,  after  promising  to  see  the  consul  again,  they  ac- 
companied Mr.  Davis  to  his  delightful  home,  in  the 
pleasantest  part  of  the  town,  and  there  found  Captain 
James  Watson  and  Professor  William  Gregory  patiently 
awaiting  his  return. 

The  astonishment  of  these  two  worthy  gentlemen  on 
beholding  the  one,  an  old  friend  and  brother  officer,  and 
the  other,  an  old  class-mate  and  brother  professor  in  the 
same  college,  can  better  be  imagined  than  described.  It 
almost  took  away  their  appetites,  which  had  been  growing 
with  enforced  delay  ;  but  after  much  talking  and  com- 
paring of  notes,  all  sat  down  to  a  bountifully  spread  table, 
and  enjoyed  a  hearty  repast. 

After  it  was  over,  and  they  had  once  more  gathered  in 
the  drawing-room,  Professor  Singleton  seized  his  brother 
professor  affectionately  by  the  button-hole,  and  exclaimed: 

"  And  so,  my  dear  frater,  you  have  been  rambling  over 
Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  Tasmania?  How  I  envy 
you ! " 

"  Yes,  it  has  been  a  most  delightful  trip,  "  assented 
Professor  Gregory,  "  and  I  have  enjoyed  it  exceedingly." 

"The  Australians  —  I  mean  the  Anglo-Australians  — 
arc  quite  a  go-ahead  people,  I  have  been  led  to  believe," 
said  Eugene,  in  a'tone  that  invited  further  information 
on  the  subject. 


THE   SAMOAN   ISLANDS.  471 

"  They  are,  indeed,  my  young  friend,"  answered  Pro- 
fessor Gregory,  readily.  "  They  are  rapidly  developing 
the  country,  and  building  up  some  really  splendid  cities 
in  that  great  and  far-away  island." 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  us  something  about  the  country 
and  its  inhabitants,"  said  Eugene. 

"Ah!  do,  my  dear  Professor,"  urged  the  palaeontologist. 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  do  so,  if  it  would  be  agree- 
able to  the  company,"  and  Professor  Gregory  looked  in- 
quiringly toward  Mrs.  Davis. 

"  We  should  be  delighted,  I  am  sure,"  said  their  host- 
ess, in  answer  to  the  look. 

"  Wait  a  moment  before  you  begin  !  "  exclaimed  Mr. 
Davis.  "  It  is  a  delightful  evening,  and  I  think  we  would 
be  more  comfortable  out  on  my  little  veranda  here,  — 
come,"  and  passing  through  the  open  windows,  they 
seated  themselves  on  the  pretty  open  portico,  and  under 
the  dark-leaved  bread-fruit  trees  and  waving  palms. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
AUSTRALIA.— TASMANIA. 

6 '  "TV  IT Y  visit,"  began  Professor  Gregory,  "  as  you 
1VL  know,  was  not  alone  to  Australia,  but  to 
other  islands  of  Australasia,  —  a  name,  by  the  way, 
given  by  modern  geographers  to  what  is  now  regarded  as 
the  fifth  division  of  the  globe ;  and  though  at  first  con- 
fined to  Australia  and  its  contiguous  islands,  is  now  made 
to  comprehend  all  the  islands  in  that  part  of  the  Pacific, 
commencing  with  Papua,  and  including  the  Admiralty 
Islands,  New  Britain,  New  Ireland,  and  even  the  Solomon 
Archipelago  on  the  north ;  Queen  Charlotte's  Isles,  the 
New  Hebrides,  and  New  Caledonia  on  the  east ;  Tasma- 
nia, New  Zealand,  and  Chatham  Isle  on  the  south  and 
southeast ;  and  all  the  interjacent  islands.  A  part  of 
these,  I  think,  as,  for  instance,  the  New  Hebrides,  New 
Caledonia,  Queen  Charlotte's,  and.  indeed,  the  Solomons, 
should  be  classed  with  the  Loyalty  and  Fiji  Islands  in 
Melanesia,  as  Logan  and  others  place  them.  The  English 
usually  restrict  the  term  Australasia  to  the  great  island, 
and  Tasmania,  and  New  Zealand.  The  French,  on  the 
other  hand,  make  the  name  Melanesia  include  not  only 
what  is  generally  understood  by  that  term,  but  all  Aus- 
tralasia besides-. 

"  Of  course,  1  only  visited  a  few  of  these  many  islands, 
and  the  first  on  which  I  set  my  foot  was  Australia.  We 
came  to  anchor  in  Port  Phillip,  and  shortly  afterwards 
I  landed  in  Melbourne,  the  Capital  of  Victoria,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Yarra-Yarra  River,  about  nine  miles  from 
its  mouth,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  great  estuary.  It  is 

(472) 


AUSTRALIA.  473 

a  city  of  about  225,000  inhabitants,  and  growing  quite 
rapidly.  The  principal  part  of  the  town  is  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  but  some  wards  lie  on  the  southern  side. 
The  river  is  spanned  by  a  substantial  bridge.  On  the 
north  side  the  chief  part  of  the  town  lies  in  a  valley  with 
its  suburbs  carried  over  two  hills.  The  south  side  is  flat 
and  swampy,  excepting  the  sandy  margin  of  Hobson's 
Bay,  where  Sandridge,  now  a  part  of  the  city,  stands. 
The  streets  of  Melbourne  are  mostly  laid  out  at  right- 
angles,  wide,  straight,  and  running  the  whole  length  and 
breadth  of  the  town.  They  are  macadamized  in  the 
middle,  well  drained,  mostly  flagged  at  the  sides,  and 
lighted  with  gas  and  electricity.  It  is  quite  a  handsome 
city,  with  the  exception  of  some  very  narrow  streets  or 
lanes  in  the  older  part.  In  general  the  buildings  are 
either  of  brick  or  stone,  and  well  constructed.  It  became 
the  seat  of  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop  in  1847,  and  of  an 
Anglican  bishop  in  1848 ;  some  years  later  the  Catholic 
diocese  was  erected  into  an  archbishopric.  Among  the 
many  prominent  buildings  are  the  houses  of  parliament, 
the  post-office,  the  treasury,  the  custom-house,  the  free 
library  —  with  an  excellent  museum  of  art  and  a  reading- 
room, —  an  opera  house,  several  theaters,  and  a  costly 
club  house. 

"  Of  course,  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the  rapidly 
growing  university,  which,  as  perhaps  you  will  remember, 
Professor,  was  opened  in  April,  1855.  It  occupies  a  beau- 
tiful site,  just  north  of  the  city,  and  has  some  forty  acres 
of  land,  which  form  part  of  extensive  pleasure  grounds. 
The  buildings  are  arranged  in  a  parallelogram,  something 
after  the  plan  we  hope  in  time  to  carry  out.  The  institu- 
tion has  departments  of  law,  medicine,  civil  engineering, 
and  arts,  and  enjoys  an  annual  government  appropriation 
of  about  $45,000." 

"  There  is  a  gallery  of  fine  arts,  and  a  botanic  garden 


474 


AUSTRALIA. 


attached  to  the  university,  if  I  remember  rightly,"  said 
Professor  Singleton. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  other,  "  and  also  a  public  museum 


RIVER   YARRA-YARRA,    AT   ST.   HUBERT. 

of  natural  history,  manufactures,  and  mining,  as  well  as 
a  bureau  of  statistics,  with  a  fine  observatory." 

"  I  have  heard  that  they  have  excellent  water- works," 
suggested  Chester. 


AUSTRALIA. 


475 


"  Yes,"  rejoined  Professor  Gregory,  "  the  Yan-Yean 
water-works  supply  the  city  from  an'  artificial  lake  formed 
in  the  valley  of  the  Plentey  River,  more  than  eighteen 
miles  away." 


"  And  they  have  several  very  fine  parks  or  pleasure 
grounds,  have  they  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  and  all  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
city,"  was  the  reply. 


476  AUSTRALIA. 

"  I  suppose  Fitzroy  gardens  is  considered  the  finest  ?  " 
said  Eugene. 

"  Perhaps ;  but  the  Royal  Park  and  Carlton  Garden  are 
very  beautiful." 

"  I  suppose  there  are  several  railways  leading  into  the 
city  ? "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  four,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  besides  a  short 
one  connecting  it  "with  the  harbor.  And  there  are  good 
roads  to  all  the  principal  points  in  the  country." 

"I  presume  you  made  some  delightful  excursions?" 
suggested  Professor  Singleton. 

"  I  did,  indeedj"  was  the  emphatic  reply  ;  "  and  one  of 
the  most  delightful  was  up  the  valley  of  the  Yarra-Yarra, 
as  far  as  St.  Hubert.  I  have  gazed  upon  many  pleasant 
scenes,  but  few  more  beautiful  than  the  river  at  that 
point.  I  shall  never  forget  it." 

"  St.  Hubert  is  quite  an  interesting  place,  is  it  not  ? " 
asked  Eugene.  "  I  have  heard  something  of  its  extensive 
vineyards." 

•"  Have  you  ever  visited  any  of  the  magnificent  vine- 
yards of  California?"  asked  Professor  Gregory. 

"  Never,"  answered  Eugene,  regretfully. 

"  Then  I  fear  I  can  hardly  give  you  an  adequate  idea 
of  those  of  St.  Hurbert.  They  cover  acres  —  I  might 
say  square  miles  ;  rows  upon  rows  of  stakes,  some  three 
or  four  feet  high,  to  which  the  vines  are  tied,  and  these, 
at  the  proper  season,  loaded  with  delicious  grapes.  It  is 
a  wonderful  sight." 

"  You  went  to  Sydney,  of  course  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply ;  "  and  was  greatly  inter- 
ested in  the  rapidly  increasing  town.  It  is  situated  on 
the  south  side  of  a  lovely  bay  called  Port  Jackson,  and 
is  the  capital  of  New  South  Wales.  The  city  is  regularly 
laid  out,  after  the  most  approved  modern  examples  ;  the 
streets  are  long  and  spacious,  the  buildings  well  erected, 


AUSTRALIA.  477 

and  the  place  adorned  with  many  very  superior  public 
institutions  and  edifices  of  a  beautiful  architectural  design. 
The  stores  of  Sydney  are  particularly  fine,  indeed  impos- 
ing, and  in  many  instances  hardly  second  to  those  of  New 
York  or  Boston.  The  city  is  the  residence  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  New  South  Wales,  is  the  see  of  a  bishop  and 
the  abode  of  the  prelate,  and  the  center  of  the  judicial 
courts,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  two  great 
centers  of  literature  for  all  the  Australian  colonies. 
Connected  with  the  university,  whose  degrees  confer  the 
same  rank  as  those  of  the  English  universities,  are  St. 
Paul's  Anglican  college,  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  col- 
lege, a  Presbyterian  college,  and  a  Wesleyan  college. 
There  are  also  a  normal  school,  a  nautical  school,  many 
public  and  private  schools,  a  free  museum,  a  free  library, 
an  observatory,  several  daily  and  weekly  papers,  and 
eight  or  ten  monthly  periodicals." 

"  The  harbor,  I  suppose,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
world,"  said  Chester. 

"  It  is  a  magnificent  harbor,"  replied  the  Professor. 
"  It  is  completely  landlocked,  and  the  largest  vessels  can 
come  close  to  the  wharves  ;  and  extensive  ship-yards  and 
dry-docks  furnish  every  facility  for  repairing  vessels. 
The  port  is  defended  by  several  well-constructed  forts 
and  batteries." 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"With  the  suburbs,' I  should  think,  not  far  from 
160,000." 

"  Where  did  you  go,  from  Sydney  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  I  hired  a  very  good  team  and  driver,  and  with  the 
Captain  here,  went  right  across  the  mountains  into  the 
interior,  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  or  so,  and  so  gained  a 
general  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the  country.  We 
stopped  at  Paramatta  and  Windsor,  both  important  coun- 
try towns,  and  passed  the  first  night  in  a  village  on  the 
20 


478  AUSTRALIA. 

banks  of  a  river,  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Mountains, 
nearly  forty  miles  from  Sydney.  The  roads  were  excel- 
lent, being  thoroughly  macadamized,  and  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  ride  over  them.  The  one  we  took  is  much  frequented, 
and  perhaps  is  the  oldest  in  the  colony.  The  land  is 
inclosed  with  high  rail  fences,  kept  in  good  repair.  There 
are  many  substantial  houses  and  good  cottages  to  be  seen 
on  every  hand ;  but,  although  a  large  portion  of  the  land 
is  under  cultivation,  there  are  still  many  tracts  in  a  wild 
state. 

"  The  extreme  uniformity  of  the  vegetation  is  the  most 
remarkable  feature  in  the  landscape  of  this  part  of  Aus- 
tralia. Everywhere  there  are  open  woodlands,  the  ground 
being  partially  covered  with  a  thin  pasture,  with  little 
appearance  of  verdure.  At  one  time  we  entered  a  grove 
of  giant  trees,  the  finest  we  had  hitherto  seen.  We  both 
uttered  cries  of  admiration  at  sight  of  the  eucalypti,  two 
hundred  feet  high,  whose  spongy  bark  was  at  least  five 
inches  in  thickness.  The  trunks  measured  twenty  feet 
in  circumference,  and  were  furrowed  by  streams  of  odor- 
ous sap.  Not  a  branch,  not  a  twig,  not  a  single  shoot, 
not  even  a  knot,  disfigured  their  perfect  symmetry.  They 
could  not  have  issued  smoother  from  the  hand  of  the 
turner.  They  were  like  so  many  columns  exactly  mated, 
and  could  be  counted  by  hundreds,  spreading  at  a  vast 
height  into  capitals  of  finely-shaped  branches  adorned 
with  vertical  leaves,  from  which  hung  solitary  flowers, 
whose  calices  were  like  inverted  urns.  Nearly  all  the 
trees  we  saw  belonged  to  this  family,  and  mostly  had 
their  leaves  placed  like  these,  in  a  vertical,  instead  of,  as 
with  us,  in  a  horizontal  position.  The  foliage  was  scanty, 
and  of  a  peculiar  pale-green  tint,  without  any  gloss.  For 
this  reason  the  woods  appeared  light  and  shadowless. 
This,  although  a  loss  of  comfort  to  us  and  to  all  travelers, 
under  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun,  must  be  of  import- 


AUSTRALIA.  479 

ance  to  the  farmer,  as  it  allows  grass  to  grow  where 
otherwise  it  would  not.  The  trees  are  evergreen,  not 
shedding  their  leaves  periodically." 

1  Why  is  it,"  asked  Eugene,  "  that  the  leaves  present 
their  edges  and  not  their  faces  to  the  sun  ?  I  don't 
understand  it." 

"  In  Australia,"  said  Professor  Gregory,  "  where  the 
air  is  exceedingly  dry,  where  rains  are  rare,  and  the  soil 
is  parched,  the  trees  need  neither  wind  nor  sun.  Hence 
these  narrow  leaves  seek  to  defend  themselves  against 
the  elements  and  preserve  themselves  from  too  great  an 
evaporation.  They,  therefore,  present  their  edges  and 
not  their  faces  to  the  action  of  the  solar  rays.  There  is 
nothing,  my  young  friend,  more  intelligent  than  a  leaf." 

"  The  leaves  of  the  eucalypti,  at  least,  seem  to  be  very 
intelligent,"  rejoined  Eugene. 

"  Much  more  so  than  the  botanist  who  gave  them  their 
name,"  smiled  the  Professor. 

"  Why,  what  does  the  word  mean  ?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  It  comes  from  the  Greek  words  ew  xaXvirrw,  signifying 
I  cover  well"  answered  Professor  Gregory  ;  "  but  you  can 
readily  understand  from  what  I  have  said,  that  the  vari- 
ous eucalypti  do  not  cover  at  all  well." 

"  But  all  the  eucalypti  are  not  exactly  such  trees  as 
those  you  have  described,  nor  all  the  forests  so  clean  and 
free  from  undergrowth,"  said  Chester. 

"  You  are  right,  my  young  friend,"  returned  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  there  are  varieties  of  the  eucalypti  which  more 
nearly  resemble  trees  of  other  species,  and  there  are 
extensive  forests  where  the  greater  number  of  the  trees, 
with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  blue-gums,  do  not 
attain  a  large  size.  I  remember  passing  over  a  road 
through  the  gum-trees  in  the  valley  of  the  Blackspur. 
It  was  a  most  romantic  drive.  Now  and  then,  —  not 
often,  —  we  came  upon  a  species  of  palm.  Acacias,  of 


480  AUSTRALIA. 

which  there  are  more  than  a  hundred  varieties,  were  to 
be  seen  on  every  hand.  Cedars  were  abundant ;  and  at 
certain  favorable  points  we  beheld  wonderful  specimens 
of  the  arborescent  ferns,  some  thirty  feet  high,  and  put- ' 
ting  forth  branches  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  long.  But 
among  the  more  numerous  trees  were  the  xanthorchoece, 
the  principal  kind  being  the  black  boy  or  grass  gum-tree. 
The  undergrowth  everywhere  was  luxuriant,  and  in  some 
places  even  dense." 

"  Are  the  Australian  forests  as  silent  as  I  have  heard 
them  described  ? "  asked  Eugene.  "  Of  course,"  he 
quickly  added,  "  there  are  few  animals,  but  are  there  no 
birds  to  make  a  noise  ?  " 

"  Sometimes,"  rejoined  the  Professor, "  we  would  travel 
all  day  long  through  such  a  forest  as  I  first  mentioned, 
and  meet  neither  quadruped  nor  human  being.  A  few 
cockatoos  inhabited  the  tops  of  the  trees ;  but  at  that 
height  they  could  scarcely  be  distinguished,  and  their 
chattering  was  an  almost  inaudible  murmur.  Sometimes 
a  flock  of  parrots  would  shoot  across  a  distant  vista, 
illumining  it  with  a  rapid  flash  of  variegated  light.  But 
generally  a  deep  silence  reigned  in  this  vast  temple 
of  verdure,  and  the  measured  tread  of  the  horses,  a  few 
words  exchanged  now  and  then  in  desultory  conversation, 
the  cracking  of  the  whip,  and  from  time  to  time  a  cry 
from  the  driver  as  he  urged  on  his  span,  were  the  only 
sounds  that  disturbed  this  vast  solitude." 

"  Ah  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  the  Australian  parrots 
and  parrakeets !  Please  tell  us  something  about  them, 
Professor." 

"  Well,  as  I  have  said,  in  the  woods  there  were  not 
many  1)5 rds ;  but  we  often  saw  large  flocks  of  the  white 
cockatoo  feeding  in  the  corn-fields,  and  a  few  most  beauti- 
ful parrots  came  under  our  observation.  The  parrakeet 
cockatoo,  although  not  clothed  with  the  brilliant  plumage 


AUSTRALIA.  483 

that  decorates  so  many  of  the  parrot  family,  is  a  remark- 
ably pretty  bird,  and  is  worthy  of  notice,  not  only  for  the 
curious  crest  with  which  its  head  is  adorned,  but  for  the 
grace  and  elegance  of  its  form.  With  the  exception  of 
the  head,  on  which  a  little  crimson  and  yellow  are  seen, 
its  plumage  is  simply  tinted  with  brown,  gray,  and  white ; 
but  these  colors  are  so  pure,  and  their  arrangement  so 
harmonious,  that  the  eye  does  not  at  all  look  for  brighter 
coloring.  It  is  mostly  seen  upon  the  ground,  where  it 
runs  with  great  swiftness,  and  is  very  accomplished  at 
winding  its  way  among  the  grass  stems,  upon  the  seeds 
of  which  it  subsists.  It  is  by  no  means  a  shy  bird,  and 
will  permit  of  a  close  approach,  so  that  its  habits  can  be 
readily  watched.  When  alarmed,  it  leaves  the  ground 
and  flies  off  to  the  nearest  tree,  perching  upon  the 
branches  and  crouching  down  upon  them  lengthwise,  so 
as  to  be  invisible  from  below." 

"  I  think  I  should  like  to  get  a  shot  at  that  kind  of 
game,"  mused  Eugene. 

"  There  is  no  great  difficulty  in  shooting  it,"  returned 
the  Professor ;  "  and  that  fact  is  a  matter  of  some  conse- 
quence to  the  hunter,  as  its  flesh  is  notable  for  its  tender- 
ness and  delicate  flavor." 

"The  eggs  of  this  species  arc  pure  white,  are  they 
not  ?  "  asked  Professor  Singleton. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply;  '"and  that  is  the  case  with 
parrot-eggs  generally." 

"  What  is  their  number  ?  " 

"  From  four  to  six,"  said  Professor  Gregory. 

"  Mr.  Gould  made  a  study  of  the  parrakeet  cockatoo, 
if  I  remember  rightly,"  said  Chester.  "  Did  you  ever  sec 
the  result,  Professor  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  was  thj  answer,  "and  it  is  very  inter- 
esting. He  says  '  the  interior  portion  of  the  vast  conti- 
nent of  Australia  may  be  said  to  possess  a  fauna  almost 


48  A  AUSTEALIA. 

peculiar  to  itself,  but  of  which  our  present  knowledge 
is  extremely  limited.  New  forms,  therefore,  of  great 
interest  may  be  expected  when  the  difficulties  which  the 
explorer  has  to  encounter  in  his  journey  toward  the  cen- 
ter shall  be  overcome.  This  beautiful  and  elegant  bird 
is  one  of  its  denizens.  I  have,  it  is  true,  seen  it  cross 
the  great  mountain  ranges,  and  breed  on  the  flats  between 
them  and  the  sea ;  still  this  is  an  unusual  occurrence, 
and  the  few  thus  found,  compared  to  the  thousands 
observed  on  the  plains  stretching  from  the  interior  side 
of  the  mountains,  proves  that  they  have,  as  it  were,  over- 
stepped their  natural  boundary. 

" '  Its  range  is  extended  over  the  whole  of  the  southern 
portion  of  Australia,  and,  being  strictly  a  migratory  bird, 
it  makes  a  simultaneous  movement  southward  to  within 
one  hundred  miles  of  the  coast,  in  September,  arriving 
in  the  York  district,  near  Swan  River,  in  Western  Aus- 
tralia, precisely  at  the  same  time  that  it  appears  in  the 
Liverpool  plains,  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  country. 

" '  After  breeding  and  roaring  a  numerous  progeny,  the 
whole  again  retire  northward  in  February  and  March, 
but  to  what  degree  of  latitude  toward  thti  tropics  they 
wend  their  way,  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  1 
have  never  received  it  from  Port  Essington,  or  any  other 
port  in  the  same  latitude,  which,  however,  is  no  proof 
that  it  docs  not  visit  that  part  of  the  country,  since  it  is 
merely  the  range  near  the  coast  that  has  yet  been  trav- 
ersed. In  all  probability  it  will  be  found  at  a  little  dis- 
tance in  the  interior,  wherever  there  arc  situations  suit- 
able to  its  habits,  but  doubtless  at  approximate  periods 
to  those  in  which  it  occurs  in  New  South  Wales.  It 
would  appear  to  be  more  numerous  in  the  eastern  divis- 
ions of  Australia  than  in  the  western.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1839,  it  was  breeding  in  all  the  apple-tree  (Ango- 
phora)  flats,  on  the  Upper  Hunter,  as  well  as  in  similar 


AUSTRALIA.  485 

districts  on  the  Peel  and  other  rivers  which  flow  north- 
ward. 

" '  After  the  breeding  season  is  over,  it  congregates  in 
numerous  flocks  before  taking  its  departure.  I  have  seen 
the  ground  quite  covered  by  them  while  engaged  in  pro- 
curing food,  and  it  was  not  an  unusual  circumstance  to 
see  hundreds  together  in  the  dead  branches  of  the  gum- 
trees  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  water,  a  plentiful  supply 
of  which  would  appear  to  be  essential  to  its  existence ; 
hence,  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  the  interior  of 
the  country  is  not  so  sterile  and  inhospitable  as  is  ordina- 
rily imagined,  and  that  it  yet  may  be  made  available  for 
the  use  of  man.  The  harlequin-bronzewing  and  the  war- 
bling grass-parrakeet  are  also  denizens  of  that  part  of 
the  country,  and  equally  unable  to  exist  without  water.' 

"  The  head  and  throat  of  this  species  are  yellow,  and 
there  is  a  patch  of  crimson  on  the  ears.  Upon  the  head 
there  is  a  long,  slender,  painted  crest,  yellow  at  the  base 
and  gray  at  the  tip,  giving  the  bird  so  curious  an  aspect 
that  at  first  sight  it  appears  either  to  be  a  cockatoo  or  a 
parrakeet,  as  the  eye  is  directed  to  the  crest  or  the  gen- 
eral form.  The  back  and  under  portions  of  the  body  are 
brown,  and  a  large  part  of  the  wings  is  white.  The 
central  tail-feathers  are  brown,  and  the  rest  gray.  The 
female  is  distinguished  from  the  male  by  a  green-tinge, 
which  pervades  the  yellow  of  the  head  and  throat,  and 
the  numerous  bars  of  yellow  and  dark-blackish-brown, 
which  cross  the  tail." 

"  What  are  some  of  the  other  birds,  Professor  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"Among  the  peculiar  birds  are  the  emu,  the  black 
swan,  the  ibis,  and  the  '  laughing  jackass '  or  *  bushman's 
clock.'  Then  birds  of  paradise  and  orioles  are  abundant ; 
a  large  king-fisher,  with  a  remarkable  voice,  is  often  seen, 
and  there  are  several  of  the  largest  species  of  eagles, 
falcons,  and  owls." 


486  AUSTRALIA. 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  something  about  the  animals  — 
what  few  there  are,"  said  Eugene. 

"The  animals  > of  Australia  are  peculiar,  not  less  in 
themselves  than  in  their  distribution,"  remarked  the  Pro- 
fessor.  "  The  carnivora  are  few,  and  the  only  really 
destructive  beast  of  prey  is  the  dingo,  an  animal  in  size 
between  a  fox  and  a  wolf,  and  resembling  a  dog.  The 
dingoes  roam  about  in  packs  and  attack  sheep,  killing 
and  wounding  many,  but  eating  few." 

"  There  are  no  ruminating  animals,  I  think  ? "  said 
Chester. 

"  None,  whatever,  and  pachyderms  are  unknown.  But 
while  this  strange  country  is  thus  deficient  in  the  classes 
of  animals  most  abundant  elsewhere,  its  fauna  consists 
very  largely  of  a  class  almost  unrepresented  in  other 
parts  of  the  world." 

"  You  refer  to  the  marsupialia,  or  pouched  animals," 
said  Eugene,  quickly. 

"  Exactly,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  of  these  the 
largest  and  perhaps  the  most  common  is  the  kangaroo. 
A  smaller  species  of  this  animal  is  called  the  wallaby. 
The  opossum,  the  flying  opossum,  and  a  carnivorous 
pouched  animal,  the  dasyurus,  are  the  other  species  most 
frequently  met  with." 

"Then  there  is  the  duck-bill,"  suggested  Eugene. 

"  You  mean  the  omithorhynchus"  returned  the  Profes- 
sor ;  "  it  belongs  to  the  family  of  monotremata,  and  is  a 
water  animal  shaped  like  a  beaver,  but  has  web  feet,  a 
bill  like  that  of  a  duck,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  male, 
spurs  upon  the  hind  feet.  The  other  species  is  the 
echidna,  or  porcupine  ant-cater.  There  are  several  spe- 
cies of  rodents,  most  of  them  small  and  insignificant, 
but  one  somewhat  larger  and  resembling  the  beaver  in 
its  habits." 


AUSTRALIA. 


487 


"  I  suppose  you  fell  in  with  some  few  of  the  aborigines 
while  in  the  country  ?"  said  Captain  Bradford,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Professor  Gregory,  "  the  second  or  third 
day  after  we  left  Sydney,  on  the  excursion  I  have  before 
alluded  to,  a  party  of  a  score  or  more  passed  by,  each  car- 
rying, in  their  accustomed  manner,  a  bundle  of  spears  and 
other  weapons. 
They  were  all  part- 
1  y  clothed,  and 
most  of  them  could 
speak  English. 
They  were,  as  a 
whole,  good-natur- 
ed and  not  bad 
looking,  and  they 
appeared  far  from 
being  such  utterly 
degraded  beings  as 
they  have  usually 
been  represented. 

"A  little  later 
we  passed  a  young- 
looking  woman, 
nearly  naked,  with 
a  child  strapped 
to  her  back,  and  a  THE  WANDERERS. 

bucket  containing  a  few  implements  fastened  to  her  hip. 
She  held  a  staff  in  her  hand,  apparently  to  aid  her  in 
walking,  and  a  piece  of  sheep-skin  partially  protected  the 
child.  Whether  these  two  wanderers  belonged  to  the 
band  that  had  gone  on  before,  or  not,  I  cannot  say,  but 
if  so,  the  woman  showed  no  anxiety  to  catch  up  with  her 
friends.  It  is  curious  thus  to  see,  in  the  midst  of  a  civ- 
ilized people,  a  set  of  harmless  savages  wandering  about 

without  knowing  where  they  shall  sleep  at  night,  and 
20* 


488  AUSTRALIA. 

gaining  their  livelihood  by  digging  roots  and  hunting  in 
the  woods. 

"  They  seldom  build  huts  or  other  fixed  dwellings,  but 
cTmtent  themselves  with  a  strip  or  two  of  bark,  or  a  large 
bough,  as  a  shelter  from  the  wind.  At  best,  their  huts 
are  of  the  rudest  fashion,  more  like  a  kennel  than  a 
habitation.  Whether  they  knew  the  use  of  fire  is  uncer- 
tain; they  now  kindle  fires  by  rubbing  two  dry  sticks 
together.  But  they  frequently  eat  their  food  raw,  and 
their  cooking  is  performed  by  making  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  lighting  a  fire  in  it,  putting  in  the  slain  animal, 
and  covering  it  with  earth  until  the  fire  is  out,  when  it  is 
considered  sufficiently  cooked.  In  the  wild  districts  they 
go  entirely  naked ;  in  the  vicinity  of  settlements  they 
wear  sheep-skins,  or  the  blankets  and  clothing  given  to 
them  by  the  settlers.  Insensible,  apparently,  to  the 
humanizing  influence  of  love,  they  lie  in  wait  for  their 
brides,  and  having  stupefied  the  unhappy  creatures  by 
savage  blows,  bear  them  on  their  backs  to  their  huts, 
where  they 'are  often  beaten  into  submissive  slaves  to 
their  brutal  masters  ;  and  should  the  mother  die,  while 
suckling,  the  child  is  buried  alive  with  its  parent.  The 
number  of  the  aborigines  is  rapidly  diminishing ;  and  it 
is  probable  a  few  more  years  will  witness  their  total 
extinction." 

"  They  practice  polygamy,  I  believe  ? "  said  Chester, 
inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Professor  Gregory,  "  every  man  has 
as  many  wives  as  he  can  manage  —  not  take  care  of, 
mind  you,  for  they  take  care  of  him." 

"  I  wish  you  would  give  some  further  account  of  your 
excursion,  Professor,"  said  Eugene. 

"  It  would  take  too  much  time  to  do  so,  I  fear ;  indeed, 
I  repent  that  I  undertook  the  task." 

"  At  least,  how  far  did  you  travel  inland  ?  " 


AUSTRALIA.  491 

t 

"  Beyond  Bathurst  and  Wellington,  and  then  turning 
eastward,  reached  the  coast  at  Port  Macquarie." 

"  Did  you  visit  Queensland  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  landed  at  Brisbane,  and  crossing  the  Craig 
and  Denham  Mountains,  followed  the  course  of  the  Daw- 
son  River  to  its  juncture  with  the  Fitzroy,  and  so  reached 
Gladstone  and  Rockhampton." 

"  And  what  interested  you  most  in  that  region  ?  " 

"  A  bottle-tree,  I  think." 

"  Ah,  they  must  be  very  curious  to  look  at." 

"  They  are  very  interesting.  The  tree  belongs  to  the 
family  Sterculiacece.  It  has  the  calyx  five-cleft,  usually 
colored ;  no  petals ;  column  of  stamens  with  fifteen  or 
rarely  ten  anthers ;  stigma  peltate ;  carpels  five,  distinct, 
with  two  or  more  ovules ;  narrow,  digitate  leaves ;  pani- 
culate, axillary  infloresence  ;  flowers  unisexual  or  polyga- 
mous, the  female  flowers  expanding  first." 

"  But  it  is  the  trunk  that  is  most  curious,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  so,  for  it  is  expanded  to  a  greatly  dispropor- 
tionate size.  Where  the  ground  is  rocky  this  remarkable 
expansion  is  greatest  just  below  the  branches ;  but  in 
favorable  soils  the  foot  of  the  tree  is  largest,  forming  a 
uniform  cylindrical  column,  from  whose  summit  the 
branches  issue  as  from  the  neck  of  a  bottle." 

"  You  went  to  South  Australia,  Professor  ?  "  said  Ches- 
ter, inquiringly. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  was  the  answer,  "  we  spent  some  time  in 
Adelaide  and  its  vicinity." 

"Adelaide  is  quite  an  interesting  city,  is  it  not?" 
asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  and  has  much 
to  make  it  so.  It  is  the  capital  of  South  Australia,  is 
situated  on  the  river  Torrens,  about  seven  miles  from  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Vincent,  where  stands  Port  Adelaide,  con- 
nected with  the  capital  by  a  short  railway ;  for,  in  conse- 


492  AUSTRALIA. 

quence  of  the  river  terminating  in  a  morass,  and  the 
draught  of  water  only  permitting  ships  of  limited  burden 
to  pass,  all  vessels  homeward  and  outward  bound  are 
compelled  to  discharge  and  take  in  their  freights  at  Port 
Adelaide.  The  city  is  built  on  rising  ground,  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  being  connected  by  two  bridges,  thus 
dividing  the  city  into  two  towns,  North  and  South  Ade- 
laide, both  parts  being  laid  out  with  spacious  and  well- 
built  streets,  running  in  parallel  and  diverging  lines, 
imparting  an  appearance  of  extreme  order  and  beauty  to 
both  divisions." 

"  There  are  some  fine  buildings,  I  suppose  ? "  said 
Eugene. 

"  Yes,  among  them  the  governor's  house,  government 
offices,  banks,  churches,  and  school-buildings." 

"The  city  has  not  grown  as  fast  as  Melbourne,  I 
believe?"  said  Mr.  Davis,  inquiringly. 

"  No ;  but  it  has  progressed  with  great  steadiness,  and, 
considering  its  natural  staple,  with  a  success  equal  to  the 
most  prosperous  settlement  in  the  South  Seas." 

"  It  is  not  an  old  city,  if  I  remember  rightly,"  observed 
Chester." 

"  The  foundation  of  Adelaide,"  said  Professor  Gregory, 
"  only  dates  back  to  the  year  1834,  and  it  was  not  till  1842 
that  the  place  can  be  fairly  said  to  have  had  vitality  and 
strength.  In  that  year  copper  was  first  discovered  in  the 
neighboring  hollows  of  Burra^Burra,  an  event  that  imme- 
diately changed  the  occupation  and  destiny  of  the  colony, 
and  had  so  marked  an  effect  upon -the  commerce  and 
prosperity  of  the  settlement,  that  the  city  and  province 
at  once  rose  to  a  state  of  healthy  development  that  it  had 
never  before  known ;  and,  though  it  was  five  years  later 
before  the  mines  were  adequately  worked,  and  made  to 
produce  a  '  yield '  that  raised  mining  in  Australia  to  a 
state  of  fabulous  wonder,  such  was  the  effect  of  the  die- 


A   BOTTLE   TREE. 


AUSTRALIA.  495 

covery,  both  on  the  social  and  political  condition  of  the 
country,  that  South  Australia  thereafter  took  a  position 
of  commercial  importance  second  to  no  dependency  of 
the  British  crown  in  the  southern  hemisphere.  Some 
idea  of  the  immense  value  and  importance  of  these  cop- 
per mines  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  one  individ- 
ual, holding  a  hundred  £5-shares,  has  drawn  an  annual 
fortune  of  ,£11,000,  or  about  $55,000,  in  dividends.  In 
1851  the  prosperity  of  the  city  and  province  was  seriously 
interfered  with,  and  in  a  manner  that  threatened  great 
misfortune,  though  from  a  singular  cause,  namely,  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  the  neighboring  State  of  Victoria. 
This  discovery  produced  such  an  effect  on  the  minds  of 
the  people,  and  so  unsettled  all  social  and  industrial 
habits,  that,  in  one  year,  between  1851  and  1852,  no 
fewer  than  12;000  men  and  4,000  boys  left  the  infant 
colony,  their  homes,  wives,  and  mothers,  for  the  gold- 
fields  of  Victoria.  The  want  of  men  to  work  what  had 
become  the  staple  of  the  province,  copper,  and  the  paucity 
of  laborers  for  the  field  and  factory,  produced  a  commer- 
cial panic  that  must  have  completely  paralyzed  every 
branch  of  trade,  but  for  the  judicious  conduct  of  the 
governor,  who,  by  causing  a  route  to  be  opened  dimt 
from  Adelaide  to  the  diggings  of  Mount  Alexander,  and 
stamping  the  ingots,  and  using  them  as  a  means  of  cur- 
rency, caused  a  diversion  in  the  transit  of  gold  from 
Melbourne,  large  quantities  being  brought  direct  to  Ade- 
laide. By  these  and  other  judicious  measures,  the  colony 
was  saved  from  what  might  have  been  its  ruin ;  and  gold- 
mining,  having  now  lost  much  of  the  enthusiasm  that 
appertained  to  its  earlier  operations,  and  the  general 
fever  that  disturbed  all  relations  of  society  having  died 
out,  vast  numbers  of  the  people  returned  to  their  former 
avocations,  and  the  province  of  Adelaide  has  once  more 
returned  to  the  even  tenor  of  its  commercial  and  prosper- 
ous career." 


496  AUSTEALIA. 

•  "  What  is  the  population  ? "  asked  Chester. 
"  Between  40,000  and  45,000,  including  Port  Adelaide 
and  Albert  Town,"  was  the  answer. 


A   SOUTH    AUSTRALIAN  ABORIGINAL, 

"  There  arc  some  very  fine  public  squares,  I  have  been 
told,"  observed  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  a  magnificent 
botanical  garden  with  a  conservatory." 


AUSTRALIA. 


497 


"  Is  not  King  William  Street  the  central  thoroughfare  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Davis. 

"  It  is  ma'am ;  and  Hindly  Street  19  the  chief  business 
locality." 


I 


"  I  am  told,"  remarked  Professor  Singleton, "  that  they 
export  enormous  quantities  of  wool." 


498  AUSTRALIA. 

"More  than  7,000,000  pounds  annually',"  rejoined  the 
other  Professor. 

"  The  soil  of  South  Australia  is  very  good,  is  it  not  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Like  other  parts  of  the  country,"  said  Professor 
Gregory,  "  the  soil  is  extremely  fertile  and  productive, 
yielding  all  manner  of  European  and  American  fruits 
and  vegetables  in  great  abundance." 

"  I  think  you  said  you  saw  something  ox  the  country 
round  Adelaide,"  observed  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  we  made  several  excursions  from  the  city,  one 
to  a  point  beyond  Port  Augusta,  where  we  saw  a  curious 
specimen  of  the  Australian  Aboriginees.  He  had  a  face 
almost  European  in  shape  and  expression,  but  the  lower 
part  was  concealed  under  a  forest  of  hair,  and  what  was 
still  more  remarkable,  his  body  and  limbs  were  completely 
covered  with  hair.  Certainly  he  was  the  most  singular 
specimen  of  the  human  race  it  was  ever  my  fortune  to 
meet  with." 

"  I  suppose  there  are  some  wonderful  sheep-runs  and 
cattle  ranges  in  the  country  ? "  said  Mr.  Davis,  who  was 
becoming  quite  interested  in  Australia. 

"  You  may  well  say  wonderful,"  returned  Professor 
Gregory.  "A  sheep-run  or  station  a  thousand  square 
miles  in  extent  is  nothing  uncommon,  and  there  are 
cattle  stations  in  Queensland  ranging  from  5,000  to  7,500 
square  miles." 

"  Gracious  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  do  private  individ- 
uals own  as  much  land  as  that  ?" 

"  Very  few,"  was  the  reply,  "  the  land  is  generally  held 
on  lease  from  the  government,  at  a  merely  nominal 
rental." 

"  T  don't  wonder  they  export  so  much  wool,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Why,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  it  is  the  land  of  the 


TASMANIA.  499 

grazier ;  arid  as  it  seems,  it  is  a  wonderful  region  for 
raising,  maintaining,  and  fattening  live  stock.  A  year 
or  so  ago  Australia  contained  more  than  62,000,000  of 
sheep,  nearly  if  not  quite  8,000,000  cattle,  and  over 
1,000,000  horses.  When  there  is  no  grass,  the  animals 
live  and  thrive  on  the  salt-bush  and  other  shrub  foliage." 

"I  should  think  it  would  be  a  lonely  life,"  observed 
Eugene. 

"Yes,  bush  life  is  lonely  enough  even  now,  in  the 
remote  regions,  but  it  is  nothing  to  the  loneliness  of  the 
old  days." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  assented  Eugene.  Then  suddenly : 
"  From  Australia  where  did  you  go  ?  " 

"To  Tasmania,"  answered  the  Professor. 

"  How  did  you  like  that  island  ?  " 

"  On  the  whole,  very  much  indeed.  We  landed  at 
Launceston,  and  from  thence  made  trips  to  various  parts 
of  the  island." 

"  Tasmania  is  only  a  short  distance  from  Australia,  I 
believe  ?  "  said  Mr.  Davis,  inquiringly. 

"  It  is  separated  from  Victoria  by  a  strait  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  wide  and  five  hundred  long,  called  Bass 
Strait.  In  appearance  it  somewhat  resembles  a  heart, 
or  an  imperfect  quadrilateral ;  it  is  two  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  in  length,  north  and  south,  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty  wide  in  its  broadest  part,  and  contains  a  super- 
ficial area  of  23,000  square  miles. 

"  The  northern  coastline  is  bold  and  precipitous  in 
places,  with  alternate  rocky  headlands  and  low  sandy 
beaches,  on  which,  at  certain  seasons,  a  tremendous  surf 
breaks  with  a  deafening  noise.  The  other  sides  of  the 
island  are  generally  high  and  rocky,  and,  being  deeply 
indented,  abound  in  safe  harbors,  bays,  and  inlets ;  this 
is  particularly  the  character  of  the  south  and  eastern 
coasts.  On  the  south  side  are  situated  Storm,  Norfolk, 


500  TASMANIA. 

and  Ralph  Bays,  and  Tasman's  and  Forester's  Peninsulas ; 
on  the  north  are  Port  Dalrymple  and  Port  Sorrel ;  and 
on  the  west  coast  Macquase  Harbor  and  Port  Davey." 

"  I  should  judge  the  interior  of  the  country  must  be 
mountainous,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  The  interior,"  rejoined  Professor  Gregory,  "  presents 
constant  alternations  of  hill  and  plain,  mountain  and 
valley,  occasionally  interspersed  with  lofty  table-lands 
and  wide  stretches  of  rolling  prairie,  thinly  wooded,  but 
extremely  fertile.  A  chain  of  lofty  mountains  in  the 
western  portion  of  the  island  runs  from  north  to  south, 
through  the  whole  length  of  Tasmania,  from  which  spurs 
or  short  off-shoots  proceed  in  all  directions.  The  average 
altitude  of  this  chain  is  3,500  feet.  Mount  Wellington, 
or  Table  Mountain,  4,195  feet  high,  forms  the  background 
to  Hobart  Town,  and  there  are  many  other  lofty  moun- 
tains, some  of  them  isolated,  rising  in  solitary  grandeur 
from  the  center  of  wide  plains." 

"  They  must  have  plenty  of  good  water  then,"  observed 
Captain  Bradford. 

"Tasmania  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water,"  re- 
turned the  Professor ;  "  it  has  several  fine  rivers,  numer- 
ous streams,  and,  for  its  size,  a  large  proportion  of  lakes. 
The  Derwent  and  Ouse  Rivers  unite  to  form  the  splendid 
estuary,  on  the  western  shore  of  which  is  situated  the 
capital  of  the  island,  Hobart  Town,  fifteen  miles  above 
its  entrance  into  Storm  Bay.  The  lakes  of  chief  note 
are  the  Sorrel,  St.  Clair,  and  Great  Lake." 

"Is  the  soil  as  good  as  that  of  South  Australia?" 
asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"The  soil,"  replied  the  Professor,  "is  very  various  ;  in 
some  places  being  extremely  fertile,  in  others  little  better 
than  desert  sand.  Along  the  banks  of  rivers  the  land, 
however,  is  remarkably  rich,  consisting  of  a  black  alluvial 
mold  of  an  extraordinary  and,  in  many  directions, 
highly  fertile  character." 


TASMANIA.  501 

"  I  have  heard  the  climate  highly  spoken  of,"  remarked 
Chester. 

"  The  climate,"  said  Professor  Gregory,  with  enthusi- 
asm, "  is  extremely  salubrious,  and  is  regarded  by  Euro- 
peans as  delicious,  from  being  free  from  all  sudden  and 
extreme  fluctuations  of  heat  and  cold.  It  exercises  a 
marked  influence  on  the  health  and  physical  condition  of 
all  new-comers,  who  not  only  feel  themselves  strengthened 
and  revivified  by  a  residence  on  the  island,  but  even  their 
natural  term  of  life  seems  enlarged  under  the  genial 
influence  of  the  balmy  air  of  Tasmania." 

"  They  must  have  plenty  of  fruit  and  vegetables,"  sug- 
gested Eugene. 

"  All  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  Europe  and  America 
grow  in  perfection,"  returned  the  Professor,  "  but.  taken 
generally,  Tasmania  is  more  a  grazing  than  an  agricul- 
tural country  ;  this  fact  is  evident  from  its  staple  produc- 
tions, which  consist  of  wool,  grain,  cattle,  sheep,  oil, 
timber,  and  potash." 

"The  island  produces  some  valuable  timber,  does  it 
not?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"The  wood  of  Tasmania  is  particularly  valuable," 
answered  the  Professor,  "the  forests  abounding  with 
timber  of  the  most  useful  varieties,  some  trees  attaining 
a  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  with  a  girth  of 
sixty  feet,  and  for  shipbuilding  and  all  ordinary  purposes 
of  carpentry  are  equal  to  the  best  oak  or  ash." 

"  The  eucalyptus  is  quite  common,  I  suppose  ? "  said 
Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  in  many  parts  certain  varieties  grow  to  a  great 
size,  and  compose  a  noble  forest." 

"  You  saw  some  fine  specimens  of  tree-ferns,  no 
doubt  ? "  queried  Professor  Singleton. 

"  In  some  of  the  dampest  ravines,"  rejoined  the  other, 
"  tree-ferns  flourish  in  a  most  extraordinarv  manner.  I 


502  TASMANIA. 

saw  one  which  must  have  been  at  least  twenty-five  feet 
high  to  the  base  of  the  fronds,  and  was  in  girth  exactly 
.six  feet  and  four  inches.  The  fronds  forming  the  most 
elegant  parasols,  produced  a  gloomy  shade,  like  that  of 
the  first  hour  of  night."  * 

"  Is  the  country  rich  in  minerals  ?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  The  mineral  resources  of  the  island  are  consider- 
able," was  the  reply,  "  and  embrace  copper,  iron,  lead, 
zinc,  manganese,  coal,  slate,  sandstone,  and  quarries  of 
white  and  gray  marble." 

"  There  are  but  few  native  animals,  I  believe,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Very  few,"  assented  the  Professor, "  the  most  remark- 
able being  the  kangaroo,  of  which  there  are  five  varieties, 
from  the  great  forest  kangaroo  down  to  the  brush  rat 
kangaroo.  The  other  animals  are,  the  opossum,  and  a 
creature  called  the  thylacinus  cynocephalus,  which  takes 
the  place  of  the  dingo  or  Australian  dog,  resembling  a 
panther  in  its  marks,  and  which  shuns  the  presence  of 
man,  flying  from  him  on  every  occasion,  yet  committing 
terrible  ravages  on  the  flocks,  especially  among  the 
lambs." 

"  The  country  is  growing  in  importance  very  rapidly, 
is  -it  not  ?  "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  the  island  is 
now  divided  into  eleven  counties,  and  there  are  many 
growing  towns.  Launceston,  the  Liverpool  of  Tasmania, 
is  the  chief  town  of  Cornwall  County,  and  is  regarded  as 
the  northern  capital ;  while  Hobart  Town,  in  Bucking- 
ham, in  the  south,  is  the  principal  city  and  actual  capital 
of  the  island.  The  government  is  vested  in  a  lieutenant- 
governor,  aided  by  an  executive  and  legislative  council. 
The  population  at  this  time  is  not  far  from  130,000." 

*  Sec  frontispiece. 


TASMANIA.  503 

"  There  are  a  number  of  islands  which  come  under  the 
government  of  Tasmania,  I  think  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,  those  lying  adjacent  to  the  coast,"  explained  the 
Professor ;  "  the  most  important  of  these  form  an  archi- 
pelago on  the  northeast  point  of  the  island,  separated 
from  the  county  of  Dorset  by  a  narrow  branch  or  arm  of 
the  sea  called  Banks  Strait.  This  group  consists  of 
Flinders  Island,  two  hundred  miles  in  circumference, 
Chappell,  Clarke,  Barren,  Franklin,  and  Yansittart  Isl- 
ands, while  a  corresponding  but  much  smaller  group,  off 
the  opposite  or  northwestern  point  of  land,  lies  nearer  to 
the  coast  of  Wellington  County ;  these  are  Albatross, 
the  Three  Hummocks,  Hunter,  Walker,  and  Bobbin's 
Island.  From  Oyster  Bay,  or  the  Glamorgan  Peninsula, 
on  the  east,  to  the  Southwest  Cape  in  the  west,  are  Schou- 
ten,  Maria,  and  the  large  island  of  Bruny,  with  the 
Needles  and  several  rocky  islets  of  no  special  account." 

"I  should  like  to  hear  something  of  the  history  of 
Tasmania,"  said  Eugene." 

"  Well,  I  can  very  soon  put  you  in  possession  of  some 
of  the  more  important  facts,"  returned  the  Professor. 
"  In  1642,  the  Dutch  navigator,  Abel  Janssen  Tasman, 
first  discovered  and  took  possession  of  the  island,  and,  in 
honor  of  Van  Dieman,  the  Governor  of  'Batavia,  gave  it 
his  name.  It  was  not  till  the  eleventh  of  March,  1773, 
that  it  became  a  British  possession,  when  'it  was  immedi- 
ately surveyed.  In  1798  Captain  Flinders  and  Doctor 
Bass  made  a  more  accurate  and  complete  examination  of 
the  island,  with  all  its  adjacent  isles,  preparatory  to 
erecting  it  into  a  penal  colony.  It  was  not,  however,  till 
five  years  later,  or  the  year  1803,  that  Lieutenant  Bowen, 
with  a  party  of  military  and  convicts,  landed  at  Risdon, 
on  the  Derwent,  and  there  established  the  first  colony, 
at  the  same  time  changing  the  name  of  the  island  from 
Van  Dieman  to  Tasmania.  The  unhealthiness  of  the 


504  TASMANIA. 

first  site  soon  compelled  the  removal  of  the  settlement 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  Derwent,  where  a  regular  city 
was  built,  and  called,  after  the  Governor,  Hobart  Town. 

"  The  infant  colony  made  but  little  progress  till  1820. 
From  that  time,  however,  the  advance  of  Tasmania  was 
rapid ;  Laimceston  rose  in  commercial  importance,  and  a 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  industry  actuated  every  branch 
of  society,  while  the  discovery  of  a  new  source  of  wealth 
acted  as  a  powerful  stimulus  to  the  colony.  This  dis- 
covery, which  eventually  became  the  great  staple  of  Tas- 
mania, was  wool.  Of  so  little  account  was  this  important 
article  deemed  as  late  as  1827,  that  the  average  price  of 
wool  was  Qd.  per  pound,  the  highest  sum  paid  for  best 
samples  being  only  l^d.  From  the  moment  when  the  im- 
portance of  this  article  was  first  ascertained,  the  quality 
of  the  pasturage  better  understood,  and  new  sheepwalks 
discovered,  the  increase  of  the  flocks,  and  the  weight  and 
quality  of  the  fleeces,  progressed  at  a  ratio  truly  marvel- 
ous, till  a  state  of  prosperity  was  obtained  that  up  to 
that  time  had  had  no  precedent  in  colonial  history. 

"The  early  years  of  the  Tasmanian  settlement,  es- 
pecially from  1825  to  1837,  were  greatly  disturbed  by  the 
depredations  of  the  escaped  convicts,  or  bush-rangers, 
and  by  the  open  hostility  of  the  natives,  who  pillaged 
and  murdered  the  outlying  farmers  and  colonists  wher- 
ever they  encountered  them  ;  so  that,  between  the  danger 
of  the  vindictive  and  prowling  savage,  and  the  brutal 
violence!  of  the  audacious  convict,  no  man,  unless  armed 
to  the  tertli,  could  visit  his  fields  or  stir  beyond  the  pro- 
tection of  the  stockade.  After  a  few  years  the  escaped 
convicts  were  all  cither  captured,  shot  dowir  in  a  hopeless 
resistance,  or  perished  horribly  in  the  bush  from  hunger 
or  the  maddening  effects  of  cannibalism.  The  natives, 
however,  still  remained  as  implacable  and  vindictive  as 
ever,  all  attempts  of  the  government  to  pacify  or  subdue 


TASMANIA.  505 

/ 

them  proving  abortive ;  nothing  seemed  to  fully  impress 
them  with  an  adequate  idea  of  the  overwhelming  power 
of  the  English,  until  the  whole  island,  in  1830,  was 
put  under  martial  law,  and  by  proclamation  all  the  in- 
habitants commanded  to  assist  in  one  great  attempt  to 
secure  the  entire  race.  The  plan  was  to  drive  and  con- 
fine them  in  the  remote  western  part  of  the  island,  by 
drawing  a  cordon  of  4,000  armed  men  across  the  country, 
and  steadily  advancing  north.  The  attempt  failed;  the 
natives,  having  tied  up  their  dogs,  stole  during  one  night 
through  the  lines,  and  no  wonder  that  they  could  do  so, 
when  their  manner  of  crawling  after  wild  animals  is 
considered.  All  efforts  by  force  having  failed,  a  Mr. 
Robinson,  a  solicitor  of  Hobart  Town,  a  good  Christian, 
and  a  worthy  philanthropist,  made  an  offer  to  the  gov- 
ernor by  which  he  guaranteed  to  bring  the  whole  native 
population  in  peace  and  obedience  to  the  feet  of  his  excel- 
lency. The  project  appeared  so  rash,  dangerous,  and 
impracticable,  that  the  executive  long  refused  to  sanction 
the  undertaking ;  but  the  failure  of  the  cordon  scheme, 
and  the  increasing  danger  to  society,  at  length  wrung  a 
tardy  consent  from  the  governor  in  the  spring  of  1837. 
Mr.  Robinson,  who  had  made  himself  familiar  with  a  few 
words  of  the  native  language,  totally  unarmed,  with  only 
a  knapsack  of  necessaries  on  his  back,  and  attended  by 
one  or  two  Australian  natives,  who,  he  thought,  might 
assist  him,  but  who,  in  reality,  were  of  no  use,  immedi- 
ately started  on  his  perilous  mission,  and,  plunging  into 
the  scrub,  soon  began  to  experience  all  the  dangers  of 
the  undertaking.  The  privations  endured  for  the  want 
of  food  and  water  were  the  least  of  the  perils  he  had  to 
encounter  ;  the  hostile  natives  perpetually  threatened  him 
with  death ;  indeed,  his  escape  from  the  spears  and  tom- 
ahawks of  the  different  tribes  was  often  miraculous.  By 
kindly  words,  by  gentleness,  and  by  sympathy  for  their 


506  TASMANIA. 

wrongs,  he  ultimately  succeeded  in  accomplishing  the 
duty  he  had  assigned  himself ;  even  to  the  subduing  of 
the  Oyster  Bay  tribe,  the  most  implacable  of  all  the 
natives ;  and  before  the  end  of  the  year  this  noble  minis- 
ter of  peace  returned  to  Hobart  Town  followed  by  every 
native  in  Tasmania,  unarmed,  peaceful,  and  obedient  as  a 
flock  of  sheep ;  and  while  the  natives  bivouacked  in  the 
streets  and  outbuildings,  Mr.  Robinson  returned  with  joy 
and  satisfaction  to  the  bosom  of  his  family.  The  govern- 
ment, rejoicing  at  the  success  of  the  undertaking,  and 
the  safety  and  confidence  it  imparted  to  the  colony,  fully 
confirmed  all  that  Mr.  Robinson  had  promised ;  appointed 
that  gentleman  their  guardian,  and,  assigning  to  them 
the  whole  of  Flinders  Island  as  a  home  and  hunting- 
ground,  transported  all  the  natives  to  their  new  country, 
allowing  to  each  individual  a  certain  annual  supply  of 
blankets,  implements,  food,  and  necessaries  of  all  sorts. 
In  this  large  and  beautiful  island,  closely  adjoining  their 
native  country,  huts  were  built  for  them,  and,  while 
allowed  to  follow  their  natural  pursuits,  a  system  of 
order,  morality,  and  education,  with  Christian  instruc- 
tion, was  established  for  their  welfare." 

"  But  it  did  not  benefit  them  much,  I  fear,"  observed 
Eugene. 

"  Right,  it  did  not.  The  aborigines  of  Tasmania  were 
descended  from  the  Papuan  negro,  and  differed  but 
slightly  from  the  natives  of  Australia.  They  were  justly 
ranked  among  the  lowest  in  the  scale  of  intellect  of  all 
the  races  of  the  human  family,  and  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  circumstances  connected  with  them  —  the 
same,  however,  is  true  of  all  natives  of  Australasia  —  was 
the  fearful  mortality  that  attended  them  whenever  the 
European  settled  in  their  neighborhood  ;  and  this,  too, 
without  any  assignable  cause,  for,  even  when  well  cared 
for,  and  allowed  at  the  same  time  to  pursue  their  natural 


TASMANIA.        •  507 

occupations  and  pastimes,  and  guarded  from  all  the  vices 
of  the  white  man,  as  in  Flinders  Island,  death,  like  a 
fearful  Nemesis,  still  hung  over  their  doomed  path.  In 
the  year  1803,  when  the  first  English  settlement  was 
founded,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  entire  number  of 
aborigines  in  Tasmania  was  1,600 ;  of  that  number  in 
thirty-four  years,  1,300  had  perished;  a  few  fell  by  war 
with  the  colonists,  but  by  far  the  greater  proportion  by 
disease  or  natural  causes  ;  so  that  in  1837,  when  Mr;  Rob- 
inson returned  from  his  mission,  three  hundred  natives 
were  all  that  could  be  found  alive,  and  were  the  number 
transported  to  Flinders  Island.  They  continued  to  de- 
crease, and  in  a  few  years  were  removed  to  Maria  Island, 
and  finally,  in  1849,  when  only  thirty-six  remained,  were 
taken  to  the  vicinity  of  Ilobart  Town,  where  they  were 
established  in  comfortable  quarters.  In  1870  only  one,  a 
woman,  survived ;  and  now  she,  the  last  of  her  race,  is 
gone." 

The  silence  that  followed  the  Professor's  last  werds 
Was  broken  by  an  exclamation  from  the  lips  of  Captain 
Bradford. 

"  I  declare ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  I  had  no  idea  it  was  get- 
ting so  late.  Really,  my  friends,  we  must  be  going." 

"  But  you  are  to  remain  with  us  to-night,"  interposed 
Mrs.  Davis. 

"  We  should  be  delighted  to  do  so,"  returned  the  Cap- 
tain, "  but  it  is  impossible ;  certain  matters  demand  our 
presence  on  board  the  yacht." 

"  Come,  come,  Captain ;  this  won't  do,  you  know," 
remonstrated  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Indeed,  we  must  go,  my  friend,"  replied  the  Captain, 
firmly  ;  "  but  we  shall  see  you  again  to-morrow." 

"  And  then,"  said  Eugene,  turning  eagerly  to  Professor 
Gregory,  "  you  must  tell  us  about  New  Zealand,  and  all 
the  other  islands  that  you  visited." 
21 


508  TASMANIA. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,  if  you  think  I  can  give  you 
pleasure,"  smiled  the  good  natured  Professor. 

"  No  fear  but  you  will  do  that,"  said  Chester ;  "  we 
have  enjoyed  hearing  you  so  much  this  evening." 

"Indeed  we  have,  my  dear  friend,"  added  Professor 
Singleton.  Then,  after  the  good-nights  had  been  spoken, 
they  hastened  to  the  point  where  the  boat  was  awaiting 
them,  and  were  speedily  pulled  out  to  the  yacht. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

NEW  ZEALAND  —  OTHER  GROUPS  AND  ISLANDS. 


BRADFORD  and  his  passengers  were 
early  on  deck  the  next  morning,  but  no  signs 
of  the  Mover  greeted  their  eyes  ;  and  neither  had  the 
small  craft  in  which  "  George  Thompson  "  had  gone  to 
Pago-Pago  the  day  before  returned,  though  this  was 
hardly  to  have  been  expected. 

"  If  we  only  knew  just  when  the  uncertain  fellow 
would  come  back,  or  if  we  were  sure  it  would  not  be 
to-day,"  said  Eugene,  while  they  were  at  the  breakfast 
table,  "  we  might  make  a  delightful  excursion  into  the 
interior  of  the  island,  or  to  some  of  the  villages  on  the 
coast." 

"  But  we  don't  know  anything  about  it,  and  hence  it 
would  be  taking  too  much  risk  to  leave  Apia  at  this  time," 
returned  the  Captain,  quickly. 

"  For  my  part,"  remarked  the  paleontologist,  "  I  enjoy 
the  society  of  Professor  Gregory  and  our  other  friends 
on  shore  too  much  to  seriously  regret  being  detained 
here  for  a  day  or  so." 

"  And  -  surely,  I  have  no  cause  to  complain,"  said  the 
Captain.  "  I  have  two  old  and  tried  friends  in  that  pleas- 
ant island  home,  yonder,  and  being  near  them,  I  am 
content." 

"  Well,"  said  Chester,  "  as  there  is  nothing  to  keep  us 
on  board  the  yacht,  and  as  we  all  enjoy  the  society  of  our 
friends  at  the  Davis's,  I  propose  that  as  soon  as  we  have 
finished  our  breakfast  we  go  to  them." 

(509) 


510  NEW  ZEALAND. 

"But  what  about  the  Rover,  and  the  other  vessel?" 
asked  his  brother. 

"  Why,  either  Mr.  Morgan,  here,  or  Seth  Cook,  can 
keep  a  lookout  for  them,  and  send  us  word  when  either 
or  both  come  into  port." 

"  Seth  will  remain  on  board,"  said  the  Captain.  "  Wat- 
son and  Morgan  are  old  friends,  and  Jasper  would  like  a 
chance  to  see  his  old  shipmate  again." 

"  By  all  means,"  exclaimed  Chester,  heartily. 

Matters  being  thus  arranged,  the  party,  a  little  later, 
left  the  yacht  in  charge  of  Seth  Cook,  and  were  pulled  to 
the  shore. 

They  stopped  for  a  few  moments  at  the  consulate,  and 
then  proceeded.to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Davis,  where  they 
found  their  companions  of  the  evening  before  gathered  in 
the  shade  of  the  bread-fruit  tree. 

The  greeting  between.  Captain  Watson  and  Jasper 
Morgan,  who  had  made  more  than  one  voyage  together, 
was  quite  cordial ;  it  was  plain  to  see  they  knew  each 
other's  worth. 

A  picnic  had  been  planned  by  Mrs.  Davis,  who  was 
anxious-  to  take  her  guests  to  a  lovely  valley  and  bay,  a 
few  miles  distant,  But  Captain  Bradford  explained  the 
situation,  and  she  at  once  declared  that  they  were  very 
well  where  they  were,  and  that  lunch  should  be  served 
under  the  noble  tree  in  whose  shadow  they  reclined. 

A  few  minutes  later,  an  opportunity  offering,  Eugene 
seized  it  to  remind  Professor  Gregory  of  his  promise  of 
the  night  before. 

"  Ah,  you  want  to  hear  about  the  other  islands  I  visited, 
my  young  friend  ?"  smiled  the  Professor. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Eugene;  "but  I  am.  not  alone 
in  this  ;  we  all  want  to  hear  you." 

"  Very  good  ;  and  as  the  islands  of  New  Zealand  were 
the  first  I  saw  after  leaving  Tasmania,  we  will  begin  with 


NEW   ZEALAND. 


511 


New  Ulster,  the  most  northern  of  the  group.  We  first 
cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Wellington,  now  the  seat  of 
government  for  the  islands,  and  the 'next  day  sailed  for 
Auckland.  Since  the  latter  city  ceased  to  be  the  capital 
of  New  Zealand  it  has  been  outstripped  in  population  by 
both  Wellington  and  Dunedin,  notwithstanding  its  fine 
harbor,  or,  rather,  pair  of  harbors ;  for  it  stands  upon  a 
narrow  isthmus  formed  by  two  deep  bays  setting  in  from 
the  opposite  sides  of 
the  island,  and  al- 
most cutting  it  in 
two,  each  being  an 
excellent  port.  But 
the  abundant  ship- 
ping I  saw,  evinced 
that  it  still  has  an 
extensive  commerce. 

"  There  is  much 
about  Auckland  to 
remind  one  of  an 
English  town,  the 
hansom  cabs  and 
dog-carts,  the  som- 
ber-looking hotels, 
with  their  more  som- 
ber  apartments, 
whose  walls  are 
hung  with  portraits  of  the  Queen  and  royal  family,  in 
close  companionship  with  pictures  of  steeple-chases  and 
fox-hunts,  and  the  busy  barmaids,  always  found  in  the 
public  rooms  of  these  hotels,  flitting  through  the  dense 
tobacco-smoke,  supplying  the  foaming  beverage  to  thirsty 
beer-drinkers,  or  dutifully  waiting  upon  the  rotund  and 
very  English  landlords. 

"  The    public    buildings    are    substantial    structures, 


GREEN   JADE   ADZE   AND    CHISEL. 


512 


NEW  ZEALAND. 


though  not  so  fine  as  those  I  had  seen  in  Melbourne. 
The  one  most  interesting  to  me,  and  to  all  of  us,  was  the 
museum,  which  contains  a  valuable  collection  of  Maori 
articles  of  dress,  tools,  and  implements  of  war.  Among 
the  first  are  mats,  not  unlike  those  of  Samoa,  made  of 
the  fine  native  flax,  tastefully  dyed,  and  which,  among 
themselves,  constitute  nearly  their  only  article  of  dress. 
Among  the  tools  and  implements  of  war  are  a  green  jade 

adze  and  chisel,  a  common  stone 
adze,  and  specimens  of  the  amere- 
mere,  or  war-club.  These  clubs, 
as  well  as  the  first-named  adze, 
are  made  of  jade,  ground,  or 
rather  rubbed,  into  shape,  and 
polished  with  infinite  labor. 
Years  are  often  bestowed  upon 
the  fashioning  of  one  of  them. 

Among  other  curiosities  are  a 
number  of  carved  feather-boxes. 
These  are  used  by  the  Maori 
chiefs,  to  keep  the  tail-feathers 
of  the  huia  in.  This  rare  and 
beautiful  bird  is  allied  to  the 
hoopoos,  and  is  remarkable  for 
the  fact  that  the  beak  of  the 
male  is  straight  and  stout,  while 
that  of  the  female  is  long,  slen- 
der, and  sickle-shaped.  Its  color 
is  a  dark-glossy-green,  of  so  deep 
a  hue  that,  in  some  lights,  it  seems  to  be  black.  The  tail 
feathers,  however,  are  tipped  with  snowy-white,  so  that 
when  the  bird  spreads  its  plumage  for  flight,  the  tail 
looks  at  a  distance  as  if  it  were  black,  edged  with  white. 
"The  bird  is  only  found  in  the  hills  near  Port  Nichol- 
son, and,  as  it  is  very  timid,  can  scarcely  be  obtained 


STONE   ADZE. 


NEW   ZEALAND.  513 

except  by  the  help  of  a  native,  who  imitates  its  cry  with 
wonderful  precision.  The  name  huia,  is  said  to  be  merely 
an  imitation  of  the  long  shrill  whistle  of  the  bird.  They 
are  so  valued  by  the  Maoris  that  in  all  probability  the 
species  would  have  been  extinct  by  this  time,  but  for  the 
introduction  of  European  customs,  which,  to  a  certain 
degree,  have  altered  the  native  fashions  and  habits. 

"  It  is  the  tail  feathers  the  chiefs  most  value,  and  for 
the  safety  of  which  the  boxes  are  made.  So  much  do 
they  prize  these  feathers,  which  they  wear  in  their  hair 
on  great  occasions,  that  they  take  the  utmost  pains  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  boxes.  These  boxes  are  made  by 
the  chiefs  themselves,  and  are  covered  with  the  most 
elaborate  carvings,  some  of  them  being  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  art  that  can  be  found  in  New  Zealand. 

"  What  other  curiosities  are  there  in  the  museum,  Pro- 
fessor ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  I  saw  one  thing  worth  mentioning,"  was  the  reply ; 
"  it  was  a  small  fossil  specimen  of  the  extinct  moa,  that 
wingless  bird,  of  whom  partial  skeletons  have  been  found, 
indicating  that  it  sometimes  reached  the  height  of  seven- 
teen feet." 

"  On  the  whole  the  city  has  rather  a  dingy  look,  has  it 
not  ?  "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 

''  Yes,  especially  the  central  part,"  was  the  reply. 

"  And  if  a  man  wanted  to  find  a  drinking-place,  he'd 
have  no  trouble  in  that  part  of  the  town,"  added  Captain 
Watson ;  "  for  about  every  other  house  is  one,  and  they  're 
all  English,  with  English  names." 

"Very  true,"  smiled  the  Professor.  "'The  Queen's 
Arms,'  'The  Forester's  Arms,'  'The  Black  Bull,'  and 
'  The  Red  Bull '  are  to  be  seen  in  every  street  and  alley." 

"The  climate  of  New  Zealand  is  very  fine,  is  it  not?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  It  is  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world,"  answered 
the  Professor. 


514  NEW   ZEALAND. 

"  There  are  several  islands  ? " 

"  Yes,  two  large  and  one  small  one,  and  a  number  of 
isles  and  islets  lying  off  the  coast." 

"  Taken  together  they  comprise  a  large  extent  of  terri- 
tory?" 

"The  whole  group  has  a  length  of  about  1,200  miles, 
and  an  area  of  more  than  97,000  square  miles,  being 
much  larger  than  Great  Britain,  and  about  twice  as  large 
as  the  State  of  New  York." 

"  What  is  the  population  ? " 

"  About  470,000,  of  whom  425,000  are  colonists,  mainly 
from  England  and  Scotland,  the  remainder  being  Maoris." 

"  You  said  there  were  three  islands  of  importance  ? " 
inquired  Eugene. 

"Yes,  the  first,  or  northern  island,  is  New  Ulster; 
the  central,  New  Minister;  and  the  last,  or  southern, 
New  Lcinster.  The  coasts  of  these  islands,  especially 
those  of  New  Ulster,  are  deeply  indented  by  bays,  estu- 
aries, and  creeks,  all  of  them  affording  excellent  anchor- 
age for  ships  even  of  a  large  size.  A  lofty  chain  of 
mountains,  attaining  an  altitude  of  14,000  feet,  runs  in 
a  waving  direction  from  north  to  south,  through  a  part 
of  New  Ulster,  and  entirely  through  New  Minister,  form- 
ing what  has  been  called  the  back-bone,  from  which,  in 
all  directions  spring  lofty  branches  or  off-shoots  trend- 
ing either  cast  or  west,  or  in  diverging  lines  northeast 
and  southwest.  These  lofty  Alpine  chains  are  clothed 
up  to  the  snow-line  with  dense  forests  composed  of  splen- 
did and  towering  trees,  while  innumerable  streams  burst 
from  all  sides  of  the  different  ranges,  and,  forming 
mountain  torrents  and  cataracts,  precipitate  their  waters 
into  the  valleys  to  swell  into  rivers ;  at  the  same  time 
imparting  to  the  scenery  all  the  grandeur  of  an  Alpine 
country." 

"  The  islands  are  volcanic,  of  course  ?"  said  Mr.  Davis, 
in  an  inquiring  tone. 


NEW   ZEALAND.  515 

"  All  the  islands  of  the  group,"  returned  Professor 
Gregory,  "  possess  the  marks  of  an  igneous  origin,  while 
in  many  there  are  immense  tracts  which  present  all  the 
grand  and  terrible  desolation  of  a  volcanic  region ;  here 
and  there,  as  in  Iceland  and  in  our  own  great  National 
Park,  broken  by  boiling  fountains  and  streams  of  seething 
waters." 

"Are  there  any  active  volcanoes?"  asked  Mrs.  Davis  ; 
"  if  so,  I  should  so  like  to  see  them." 

"  In  New  Ulster  there  are  two,"  replied  the  Professor, 

—  "  Mount  Egmont,  or  Taranaki,  which  has  an  elevation 

of  nearly  10,000  feet,  and  Tangarero,  with  an  altitude  of 

6,300  feet ;  while  in  New  Minister  there  is  a  third,  Mount 

Arthur,  exceeding  8,000  feet  in  height." 

u  The  group  is  rich  in  minerals,  is  it  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  The  minerals  are  copper,  manganese,  coal,  sulphur, 
lime,  titaniferous  iron,  with  indications  of  tin,  lead,  silver, 
bismuth,  and  nickel,  and  gold  has  been  reported  in  abund- 
ance ;  but,  from  the  geological  features  of  the  country, 
that  metal,  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  will  not  be  found  in 
any  remunerative  quantity." 

"  But,"  observed  Mr.  Davis,  "  there  is  something  better 
for  a  country,  in  the  long  run,  than  minerals  —  gi'ain, 
and  the  like." 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  and  though  New  Zea- 
land is  generally  so  mountainous,"  it  has  several  very 
extensive  and  fertile  plains,  and  many  beautiful  valleys. 
The  flax  plant,  sweet  potato,  a  variety  of  ferns,  and  some 
fine  timber  trees  are  the  chief  indigenous  vegetables  of 
the  islands ;  but  wheat,  and  all  the  European  grains  and 
vegetables  introduced,  have  been  cultivated  with  remark- 
able success,  while  the  richness  and  abundance  of  the 
pasture  renders  it  an  admirable  grazing  country." 

"  Then  it's  safe  to  be  great  some  day." 
21* 


516  NEW   ZEALAND. 

"  I  am  sure  of  that." 

"  There  were  very  few  native  animals,  Professor  ?" 
said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"  A  kind  of  fox-dog  and  a  species  of  rat  were  the  only 
quadrupeds  known  to  the  natives  when  Captain  Cook 
first  visited  the  islands,"  was  the  Professor's  reply. 
"  Now,  however,"  he  added,  "  all  the  domestic  animals 
have  been  introduced  and  largely  propagated." 

"  Tasman  discovered  the  group,  did  he  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"He  discovered  a  part  of  one  of  the  islands  in  1641, 
or  possibly  1642 ;  but  nothing  further  was  known  of  the 
discovery  till  Captain  Cook,  in  1769  and  1770,  thoroughly 
investigated  the  islands,  and  took  possession  of  them  in 
the  name  of  his  sovereign.  From  that  time  till  1814, 
the  group  was  totally  neglected,  or  only  resorted  to  by 
the  South  Sea  whaling  ships  ;  in  the  latter  year,  however, 
a  body  of  missionaries,  from  the  Church  of  England  Mis- 
sion, landed  and  commenced  their  arduous  duties  of  civ- 
ilizing and  Christianizing  the  cannibal  savages,  who  then 
formed  the  native  population.  Missionaries  of  other 
denominations  followed,  and  in  1839,  these  excellent 
pioneers  having  almost  entirely  altered  the  nature  of  the 
aborigines,  the  New  Zealand  Company  sent  out  their  first 
body  of  settlers,  who  founded  a  colony  on  Cook's  Strait. 
In  1840  the  sovereignty  of  Great  Britain  over  the  islands 
was  formally  proclaifned,  and  from  that  time  the  colony 
has  slowly  but  steadily  advanced." 

"  I  suppose  the  government  is  very  similar  to  those 
of  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales  ? "  said  Chester, 
inquiringly. 

"  It  is  much  the  same,"  was  the  reply. 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Eugene,  "  I  should  like  to  hear 
something  more  about  the  Maori  natives.  What  do  you 
think  of  them,  Professor  ? " 


NEW   ZEALAND.  517 

"  On  the  whole,  they  are  a  fine,  well-made,  and  intel- 
lectual race  of  men,  tall,  with  majestic  features,  and  of  a 
copper  color ;  they  are  honest,  gentle,  easily  taught,  gen- 
erous, and  capable  of  appreciating  the  highest  degree  of 
civilization." 

"  Oh,  belay  there,  Professor ! "  laughed  Captain  Wat- 
son ;  "  you  're  carrying  your  praise  too  far." 

"  How  so  ?  "  demanded  the  Professor,  quickly. 

"  Fine,  well-made,  and  tall,  you  said." 

"  I  did." 

"  The  average  height  of  the  men  is  exactly  five  feet, 
six  and  one-quarter  inches,  and  their  average  weight  one 
hundred  and  forty  pounds.  They  are  not  well-propor- 
tioned, their  bodies  and  arms  are  too  long,  and  their  legs 
too  short." 

"  Well,  what  other  objections  have  you  to  offer?" 

"  Intellectual,  you  said,  with  majestic  features." 

"Well?" 

"  I  claim  they  are  not  particularly  intellectual,  and  as 
for  their  majestic  features,  this  picture  will  give  some 
idea  of  them.  It  represents  one  of  their  most  noted 
chiefs,  and  I  assure  you,  my  friends,  he  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  faithful  likeness.  There's  intellect  for 
you !  There's  majesty  of  features ! "  Then  taking  another 
picture  from  his  pocket : 

"  Now  just  let  me  place  this  beside  it.  There !  how 
does  it  look  now  ?  Where  's  the  intellect  and  majesty  of 
features  ?  In  the  right-hand  picture,  or  the  left  ?  " 

"  Here ! "  exclaimed  Captain  Bradford,  with  a  laugh, 
"  don't  make  so  free  with  my  picture,  I  beg.  Where  did 
you  get  it,  any  way  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  gave  it  to  me  the  last  time  we  met.  Don't 
you  remember." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  but  I  had  quite  forgotten." 

"  I  had  n't ;  but  come,  gocd  people,  what  have  you  to 
say  to  the  two  faces  ?  " 


518 


NEW    ZEALAND. 


"It  is   not  a   fair   comparison,"    objected    Professor 
Gregory. 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  asked  the  Captain. 


"Why,  Captain  Bradford,  here,  has  had  all  the  advan- 
tages of  centuries  of  civilization,  while  during  those  same 


NEW   ZEALAND.  519 

centuries  the  tattooed  chief's  ancestors  were  groping  in 
heathen  darkness." 

"  That's  all  very  well ;  but  whose  fault  is  it  ?  " 

"  There,  you  are  getting  away  from  the  question  now. 
For  my  part,  I  still  hold  firmly  to  this  :  Physically,  the 
Maoris  are  a  fine  people.  In  stature  and  physical 
strength  they  will  compare  favorably  with  Europeans. 
Mentally  and  morally,  in  most  respects,  they  rank  far 
above  the  majority  of  uncivilized  people.  I  '11  put  it  that 
way." 

"  And  I  '11  let  it  pass  at  that,"  said  Captain  "Watson. 

u  What  did  you  say  of  their  complexion  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Generally  they  are  of  a  light-brown  color,  with 
straight,  black  hair  and  prominent  features,"  said  the 
Professor.  "  I  have  seen  a  few,"  he  added,  "  of  much 
darker  color,  and  with  hair  almost  woolly,  indicating  a 
portion  of  other  blood." 

"  But  whence  came  the  admixture  ?  "  asked  Professor 
Singleton. 

"  Ah,  that  is  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Until  the  advent 
of  the  whites,  a  little  more  than  a  century  ago,  there  is 
no  evidence,  from  tradition  or  otherwise,  that  a  single 
person  from  other  shores  had  touched  at  the  islands  since 
the  first  canoe-loads  of  Maoris,  a  thousand  in  all,  they 
say,  drifted  thither.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  these  blackest  people  are  sprung  from  aborigi- 
nes, who  were  on  the  islands  when  the  Maoris  came. 
But  in  other  respects  I  see  no  special  difference  between 
them  and  their  brown  neighbors. 

"The  Maoris  have  a  great  weakness  for  tattooing," 
remarked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  in  that  they  have  outstripped  all  other  people," 
said  the  Professor. 

"  I  doubt  if  they  are  ahead  of  the  Marquesans,"  inter- 
posed Captain  Bradford,  quickly. 


520  NEW   ZEALAND. 

"  I  think  they  are,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  but  I 
don't  know  that  I  am  able  to  prove  it." 

"  They  are  an  affectionate  people,  and  love  their  chil- 
dren, do  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  I  have  never  seen  anywhere  parents  more  fond  of 
their  children,"  was  the  reply.  "  They  exert  themselves 
to  find  means  of  amusement  for  them,  and  have  many 
games.  One  of  the  most  popular  is  a  kind  of  swing  — 
many  single  ropes  fastened  to  the  top  of  a  tall  and  some- 
what flexible  pole,  which  stands  on  a  slight  elevation. 
The  children  —  boys  and  girls,  indiscriminately  —  seize 
the  dangling  ropes  and  swing  off  the  bank  to  a  consider- 
able distance,  returning  with  a  rush.  While  they  are 
thus  at  play,  their  parents  come  and  sit  down  on  the 
banks  and  watch  them  complacently." 

"  They  live  in  what  are  called  pahs,  built  on  peninsulas 
or  on  hill-tops,  do  they  not  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  They  did  live  in  pahs  or  fortified  villages,"  returned 
the  Professor  ;  "  but  of  late,  these  forts  have  been  aban- 
doned, except  a  few  that  are  conveniently  situated,  and 
the  natives  live  in  open  villages  and  farm-houses." 

"What  was  the  particular  use  of  the  pahs?"  asked 
Eugene.  "  Were  they  always  obliged  to  be  on  the 
defensive  ?  " 

"  That 's  it,  exactly.  The  different  nations  were  almost 
constantly  at  war,  and  deadly  feuds  were  frequent  between 
tribes.  These  contests  were  carried  on  with  great  feroc- 
ity, the  defeated  tribe  being  reduced  to  slavery  or  killed 
and  eaten." 

"  The  pahs,  then,  served  as  a  safe  shelter  for  their 
wives  and  children  and  old  men  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  and  for  the  warriors,  when  they  were  too  weak 
to  take  the  field." 

"  I  knew  they  were  cannibals." 

"  Cannibalism  was  universal." 


NEW    ZEALAND. 


521 


"  What  did  they  find  to  quarrel  about  ?  " 

"  Land  and  women  were  the  usual    causes  of   strife, 


MAORI   CHILDREN   AT   PLAY. 


but  wars  were  not  entered  upon  without  much  delibera- 
tion and  attempts  at  conciliation." 


522  NEW    ZEALAND. 

"  They  sometimes  engaged  in  naval  battles,  I  have  seen 
it  stated,"  said  Chester. 

"  Yes,  sea-fights  occasionally  took  place  between  fleets 
of  canoes,  the  war  canoes  being  eighty  feet  long,  four 
feet  wide,  and  four  feet  deep.  They  were  propelled  by 
fifty  paddles." 

"  They  don't  do  much  fighting  now  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No,  wars  among  them  have  nearly  ceased  since  slavery 
and  cannibalism  have  been  removed  by  Christianity." 

"  I  am  heartily  glad  to  hear  it.  You  say  they  quarreled 
about  women ;  when  they  got  one  was  the  marriage  cere- 
mony elaborate  ?  " 

"  Marriage  among  them  did  not  involve  any  religious 
ceremonies  whatever.  Before  marriage,  girls  not  be- 
trothed were  permitted  to  indulge  in  promiscuous  inter- 
course if  they  pleased,  and  the  more  lovers  they  had  the 
more  highly  they  were  esteemed.  Married  women,  how- 
ever, were  kept  under  strict  restraint,  and  infidelity  was 
punished  severely,  often  with  death." 

"  Polygamy  was  practiced  ?  " 

"It  was  permitted,  but  was  not  common,  and  men 
could  divorce  their  wives  simply  by  turning  them  out  of 
doors." 

"  That  was  pretty  hard  on.  the  women." 

"Yes,  but  since  the  introduction  of  Christianity  a 
great  change  has  taken  place.  The  natives  are  now 
generally  clothed  like  civilized  men,  and  possess  flocks, 
herds,  furniture,  houses,  and  cultivate  lands.  One  half 
of  the  adults  can  read  and  write,  and  quite  two-thirds 
of  them  belong  to  the  Christian  churches." 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  are  becoming  civilized,"  laughed  Cap- 
'  tain  Watson,  "  Professor,  do  you  remember  that  day  we 
spent  at  Tauranga  ?  " 

"Of  course.     What  of  it?" 

"  Do  you  remember  watching  the  canoes  as  they  crossed 


NORFOLK   ISLAND.  523 

the  inlet,  and  how  the  dutiful  wives  would  jump  over- 
board, when  their  crafts  could  come  no  further  up  the 
shelving  beach,  and  taking  their  lordly  masters  on  their 
backs  wade  slowly  ashore  ? " 

"  Why,  yes ;  but  that  was  so  they  need  not  wet  their 
shoes,  you  know." 

u  Oh !  that  was  it,  eh  ?  And  so  all  the  shoes  in  the 
family  belong  to  the  husband,  do  they?" 

"  Why,  yes.     I  believe  so." 

"  We  saw  all  sorts  of  costumes  that  day,  did  n't  we, 
Professor  ?  There  would  be  a  native  clad  in  jaunty  Euro- 
pean attire,  of  almost  the  latest  fashion :  high  silk  hat, 
well  starched  linen,  nice  spring  overcoat,  and  swinging  a 
dandy  cane,  and  with  him  you  might  see  another,  whose 
wardrobe  consisted  only  of  a  shirt  and  blanket.  I 
remember  one  who  wore  a  cap,  a  short  coat,  and  — 
what  do  you  think  ?  a  pair  of  shoes,  and  nothing  else ! 
Oh,  they  are  great  on  shoes ;  if  they  can  only  get  a  pair, 
they  are  quite  happy." 

"  You  are  too  hard  on  them,  Captain,"  cried  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  I  protest,  it  is  not  fair." 

At  this  moment  Mrs.  Davis,  who  had  withdrawn  to 
the  house  some  time  before,  returned,  and  informed  her 
guests  that  they  must  move  and  so  make  room  for  the 
table  and  lunch. 

The  table  was  brought  out,  the  good  things  were 
arranged  upon  it,  and  all  were  invited  to  partake.  For  a 
while  they  were  too  busy  to  think  of  islands;  but  at 
length  Eugene  saw  that  Professor  Gregory  was  ready  to 
talk  again,  and  so  at  once  addressed  him. 

"  What  island  did  you  next  visit,  after  leaving  New- 
Zealand  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Norfolk  Island,"  was  the  reply. 

"  It  is  a  lovely  spot,  I  have  heard." 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  largest  and  most  delightful  of  a  small 


524  NORFOLK   ISLAND. 

cluster  consisting  of  Norfolk,  Nepeau,  and  Philip  Islands, 
together  with  several  islets,  or  rocks,  called  the  Bird 
Islands." 

"  How  large  is  Norfolk  ?  " 

"  It  is  about  five  miles  long,  with  an  average  breadth 
of  nearly  three  miles.  Its  area  is  fourteen  square  miles." 

"  How  far  is  it  from  Sydney  ?  " 

"  Nine  hundred  miles." 

"  Captain  Cook  discovered  it,  did  he  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes,  in  1774." 

"  What  are  its  general  features  ? "  asked  Professor 
Singleton. 

"  The  cliffs  round  the  coast  arc  steep  and  lofty,  and 
form  a  frowning  barrier  to  all  hostile  access  and  exit, 
rising  in  a  perpendicular  wall  in  many  places  to  a  height 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  feet.  It  has  no  harbor,  though 
the  anchorage  is  good  all  round  the  island.  The  interior 
is  hilly,  and  covered  with  dense  forests,  chiefly  of  a 
spruce-pine ;  the  soil  is  rich,  deep,  and  very  fertile,  yield- 
ing excellent  crops  of  cotton,  indigo,  and  fruits  —  oranges 
and  lemons  growing  in  extraordinary  abundance,  and 
of  rare  quality.  The  guava,  banana,  yam,  sweet  potato, 
and  arrow-root  grow  luxuriantly  ;  and  coffee,  maize,  and 
wheat  are  raised." 

"Palms  and  tree-ferns  grow  on  the  island,  do  they 
not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"Yes,"  responded  the  Professor,  "there  is  a  small 
species  of  palm,  and  a  gigantic  tree-fern  having  fronds 
more  than  eleven  feet  in  length." 

"There  is  at  least  one  considerable  mountain,"  said 
Captain  Bradford. 

"  Yes,  Mount  Pitt,  in  the  northwest  corner,  rises  to 
the  height  of  1,000  feet." 

"The  climate  must  be  delightful,"  observed  Chester. 


ISLE   OF   PINES.  525 

"It  is  healthy  and  very  agreeable,"  returned  the 
Professor. 

"  They  have  plenty  of  domestic  animals  ?  " 

"  Horses,  horned  cattle,  sheep,  and  other  animals  have 
been  introduced." 

"  Who  were  the  first  white  settlers  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  A  large  number  of  convicts  and  f reedmen  from  New 
South  Wales  settled  there  in  1787 ;  but  they  abandoned 
the  island  in  1810,  and  all  their  buildings  were  destroyed." 

"At  one  time  it  was  a  penal  colony,"  said  Captain 
Bradford. 

"  Yes,  in  1825,  the  incorrigible  offenders  among  the 
convicts  of  New  South  Wales  were  sent  ther'e,  as,  from 
the  nature  of  its  coast,  it  was  thought  escape  would  be 
well-nigh  impossible.  At  one  time  more  than  2,000  pris- 
oners were  on  the  island,  with  a  strong  force  to  watch 
them  and  keep  them  in  order,  notwithstanding  which 
many  convicts  made  their  escape  to  various  South  Sea 
islands,  to  the  great  detriment  of  their  inhabitants." 

"  But  there  are  no  convicts  on  the  island  now,  I  sup- 
pose ?  "  said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"No,  as  a  penal  establishment,  Norfolk  island  was 
abandoned  in  1855." 

"  And  then  it  was  given  up  to  the  descendants  of  the 
mutineers  of  the  Bounty"  said  Eugene  quickly. 

"  Yes,  in  1857,  it  was  given  by  the  British  government 
to  the  Pitcairn  Islanders,  194  in  number;  and  though 
some  have  returned  to  their  old  home,  by  far  the  greater 
number  remain  at  Norfolk  Island." 

"  I  suppose  you  did  not  pass  by  New  Caledonia,  Pro- 
fessor?" said  Chester,  in  an  inquiring  tone. 

"  No,  that  was  the  next  island  on  which  I  set  my  foot ; 
but  before  reaching  it  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  two  others, 
Walpole,  and  Kunie  or  Isle  dcs  Pins." 

"  The  latter  is  quite  a  noted  little  spot,"  remarked 
Captain  Bradford. 


526  ISLE   OF   PINES. 

"Yes,  the  soil  is  rich  and  the  natives  are  restless. 
The  island  lies  thirty  miles  to  the  southeast  of  New  Cale- 
donia, and  in  fact  forms  a  part  of  the  same  group.  Cap- 
tain Cook  called  it  Isle  of  Pines,  in  consequence  of  the 
vast  number  of  araucarias  with  which  its  hills  are  covered. 
The  strait  between  this  island  and  New  Caledonia  proper 
is  nearly  all  shoal  water,  caused  by  the  numerous  coral 
reefs." 

"  You*  say  the  natives  are  restless.  I  suppose  they 
belong  to  the  same  race  as  those  of  the  islands  about 
them,  do  they  not  ?  "  inquired  Chester. . 

"  In  many  respects  they  resemble  the  natives  of  New 
Caledoniaj"  replied  the  Professor.  "  They  are  not,  how- 
ever, so  dark,  and  their  features  are  tolerably  good." 

"  They  are  miserable  cannibals,"  growled  Captain 
Watson. 

'  They  were,  you  mean,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "  and 
that  too  from  choice,  wrapping  up  the  bodies  of  their 
victims  in  banana  leaves,  and  then  cooking  them  in 
ovens." 

"If  they  have  given  up  the  practice,  I  am  glad  of  it," 
said  the  Captain ;  "  but  it  is  not  so  many  years  since, 
when,  having  come  into  possession  of  a  lot  of  fire-arms, 
they  crossed  over  to  New  Caledonia  and  shot  down  as 
many  of  the  natives  as  they  could,  and  brought  off  their 
bodies  for  consumption.  It  is  true,  I  suppose,  that  a 
constant  feud  raged  between  the  two  islands,  but  the 
sudden  acquisition  of  fire-arms  gave  the  people  of  the 
Isle  of  Pines  a  terrible  advantage  over  their  hereditary 
foes,  and  enabled  them  almost  to  depopulate  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  larger  island." 

"  But  how  did  they  come  into  possession  of  such  a 
stock  of  fire  arms?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Obtained  them  from  traders,  I  suppose,"  said  the 
Captain. 


ISLE   OP   PINES.     .  527 

"  Why,"  explained  Professor  Gregory,  "  about  the  year 
1840,  it  was  found  that  sandal-wood  grew  on  the  island, 
and  several  vessels  proceeded  thither  for  the  sake  of  pro- 
curing this  valuable  product.  At  first  they  did  so  with 
great  risk,  and  lost  many  of  their  men  from  the  on- 
slaughts of  the  natives,  whom  they  were  forced  to  repel 
by  the  use  of  fire-arms.  Thus  learning  by  bitter  experi- 
ence the  tremendous  power  of  these  arms,  the  first  thing 
the  natives  did,  as  soon  as  they  had  become  accustomed 
to  trade,  was  to  procure  a  large  stock  of  them,  and  the 
next  was  to  put  them  to  the  use  the  Captain  has  men- 
tioned. But  after  a  while  a  Sydney  merchant  set  up  an 
establishment  for  the  collecting  and  storing  of  sandal- 
wood  and  bechcs-de-mer,  and  since  that  time  the  natives 
have  become  quite  peaceable." 

"  Well,  even  if  they  are  peaceable,  they  don't  amount 
to  much,"  said  Captain  Watson.  "  They  care  no  more 
for  dress  than  the  New  Caledonians,  and  that 's  precious 
little.  They  are  very  fond  of  ornament,  however,  the 
men  appropriating  all  the  best  decorations,  and  leaving 
the  women  to  take  what  they  can  get.  A  funny  thing  is, 
the  men  friz  their  hair  out  as  much  as  possible,  to  make 
the  most  of  it,  and  wrap  a  thin  scarf  round  it,  to  protect 
it ;  sometimes,  but  not  often,  they  cut  it  short,  leaving 
only  a  tuft  on  one  side  of  the  head.  The  women,  how- 
ever, shave  off  the  whole  of  the  hair,  thus  depriving 
themselves  of  their  natural  ornament,  and  rendering 
themselves  perfectly  hideous  in  a  white  man's  eyes.  The 
rough  work  is  done  by  them,  the  men  reserving  to  them- 
selves the  noble  occupations  of  war,  which  the  Professor 
says  they  have  given  up,  fishing,  a  little  house-building, 
and  canoe-making,  the  only  real  work  which  they  do 
being  yam-planting,  after  the  ground  has  been  carefully 
prepared  by  the  women." 


528  NEW  CALEDONIA. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  New  Caledonia,  Professor  ? " 
asked  Eugene. 

"  I  was  pleased  with  much  that  I  saw  there,  but  not  with 
all,"  was  the  answer.  "  We  first  came  to  anchor  in  the 
harbor  of  Port  St.  Vincent,  on  the  southwest  coast,  but 
soon  moved  to  Numea  or  Port  de  France,  near  the  south- 
western extremity.  This  is  quite  a  civilized  little  town  ; 
perhaps  too  much  so  —  after  the  French  fashion.  It 
reminds  one  of  the  poorer  quarters  of  Paris.  There  are 
cafe's,  wine-shops,  and  casinos  on  every  hand,  with  their 
inevitable  French  accompaniment,  dancing-girls.  Gens- 
d'armes,  too,  are  to  be  met  at  every  turn.  The  harbor 
is  a  great  resort  for  shipping,  and  at  all  times  there  are 
many  vessels  in  port.  There  are  several  public  buildings, 
including  a  government  house,  a  prison,  and  a  large  hotel. 
The  harbor  is  guarded  by  a  fort  or  battery,  and  a  tele- 
graph line  has  been  established.  The  situation  is  pictur- 
esque, but  the  streets  are  badly  laid  out,  and  the  houses 
poorly  built. 

"  Next  to  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  this  island  is  the 
largest  in  the  South  Seas,  its  extreme  length  being  two 
hundred  and  forty  miles,  by  an  average  breadth  of  thirty 
miles.  The  whole  island  is  surrounded  by  dangerous 
reefs,  and  its  surface  is  diversified  by  hills  and  valleys, 
with  an  abundance  of  rivers  and  woods.  The  land  in 
many  parts  is  sterile,  but  the  natives  take  pains  in  its 
cultivation,  and  irrigate  it  with  a  fair  degree  of  science." 

"  Is  it  not  thought,"  asked  Professor  Singleton,  "  that 
a  more  advanced  civilization  once  existed  on  the  island  ?" 

"  Ah,  now  you  come  to  one  of  the  things  that  interested 
me,"  exclaimed  his  brother  Professor.  "  The  remains  of 
ancient  aqueducts,  paved  roads,  and  fortifications  have 
been  found,  some  of  them  are  wonderful,  and  these  I 
carefully  examined.  My  impressions  hi  regard  to  them 


NEW   CALEDONIA.  529 

and  their  builders,  I  shall  give  to  th3  public  at  an  early 
day." 

"  The  natives  are  still  cannibals,  I  have  been  informed," 
said  Chester. 

"  There  is  no  disputing  the  fact,"  returned  Professor 
Gregory.  "  I  was  told  at  Numea  that  it  is  impossible  to 
satisfy  their  appetite  for  human  flesh,  which  they  say  is  a 
staple  article  of  their  food." 

"  Have  they  acquired  the  habit  of  using  liquors  ?  " 

"  No,  they  use  no  intoxicating  drinks,  but  consume 
great  quantities  of  salt  water." 

"  How  do  they  treat  their  women  ?  " 

"  Much  as  do  the  natives  of  the  Isle  of  Pines,  subju- 
gate them  to  a  lower  level  than  their  own.  They  force 
them  to  go  into  battle  with  them,  and  when  an  enemy 
falls,  rush  forward  and  obtain  the  body  for  the  oven. 
Their  priests  are  also  obliged  to  go  to  war,  but  they  sit 
at  a  safe  distance  calling  on  the  gods  for  victory." 

"  How  do  they  dress  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  men  wear  little  or  no  dress,  the  women,  who  are 
modest  and  far  better  disposed,  wear  a  short  petticoat, 
which,  with  the  married,  is  black; 'with  the  unmarried, 
white.  This  petticoat  consists  of  a  kind  of  fringe  made 
of  filaments  of  cords,  strung  together  on  a  long  string 
and  hanging  loose,  which  being  carried  several  times 
round  the  body,  the  fringe  forms  an  effectual  covering. 

"  I  have  seen  pictures  of  their  war  canoes,  and  should 
judge  they  were  curious  affairs,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  Professor,  "  they  consist  of  two, 
three,  or  even  more,  single  canoes  lashed  together,  and 
a  large  deck  laid  over  all,  on  which  one  or  more  masts 
are  raised,  with  lateen-sails,  by  which  the  whole  is  pro- 
pelled, or  when  the  wind  is  adverse,  the  crew  use  their 
spade-like  oars,  and  force  the  craft  through  the  waters  on 
their  voyage  of  pillage,  conquest,  or  ceremony.  Their 


530  „  NEW   HEBRIDES. 

weapons  are  still  clubs,  spears,  darts,  and  slings,  though 
they  are  not  wholly  without  fire-arms." 

"  When  did  the  French  take  possession  of  the  island  ? " 

"In  September,  1853,  and  almost  immediately  estab- 
lished on  it  a  station  for  their  Pacific  squadron,  and  a 
penal  colony.  They  have  had  many  fights  with  the 
natives,  but  hostilities  ceased  in  1857,  when  the  most 
troublesome  chief  was  captured." 

"  What  do  the  natives  call  the  island  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 
"  I  know,  but  cannot  think." 

"  They  call  it  Balade ;  and  that  name  has  now  been 
given  to  a  port  on  the  northeast  side  of  the  island." 

"  The  Loyalty  Islands  are  close  by  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  are  claimed  by  France,  as  being  part  of  the 
same  group." 

"  I  suppose  you  went  next  to  the  New  Hebrides  ?  " 

"  I  did  ;  and  one  of  the  first  islands  I  visited  was  Erro- 
mango,  where  the  martyr,  John  Williams,  met  his  death. 
I  also  went  to  Vanikoro  or  Recherche  Island,  where 
the  celebrated  voyager  La  Perouse  and  his  companions 
perished." 

"  There  are  quite  a  "number  of  islands  in  the  group,  are 
there  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  At  least  twenty  of  considerable  size,  and  a  great 
number  of  islets  and  rocks." 

"  What  are  the  most  important  ? "  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"The  first  in  importance  is  Espiritu  Santo,  which  is 
seventy  miles  long  by  about  twenty-five  miles  broad. 
Then  come  Mallicollo,  sixty  by  twenty-eight  miles ;  Erro- 
mango,  Tauna,  Ambrim,  Annatom,  Banks,  Vat6  or  Sand- 
wich, .and  Whitsuntide." 

"  There  is  a  very  fine  harbor  at  Mallicollo,"  observed 
Captain  Watson. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor,  "  Port  Sandwich  ;  it  is 
the  best  in  the  group." 


NEW   HEBRIDES.  531 

"  One  of  the  islands  disappeared  a  few  years  ago,  I 
remember,"  said  Professor  Singleton.  "There  was  a 
great  deal  of  talk  about  it  at  the  time." 

"  That  was  Aurora,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fer- 
tile of  the  group,"  explained  Professor  Gregory.  "It 
was  fully  thirty-six  miles  long,  by  more  than  five  miles 
broad.  It  disappeared  in  1871,  leaving  no  trace  what- 
ever of  its  existence." 

"  Are  there  any  active  volcanoes  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  there  is  one  in  Tauna." 

"The  islands  are  all  mountainous,  are  they  not?" 

"  Most  of  them,  to  say  the  least,  are  hilly,  and  there 
are  a  number  of  high  mountains." 

"  Are  they  well  wooded  ? " 

"  With  the  exception  of  Erromango  and  some  smaller 
islands,  they  are  all  well  wooded  and  supplied  with  good 
water,  and  present  a  most  luxuriant  vegetation.  Much 
of  the  timber  is  very  valuable,  sandal-wood  and  ebony 
being  found  on  all  or  nearly  all  the  islands." 

"There  's  one  good  thing  about  them,"  exclaimed  Cap- 
tain Watson,  rousing  himself.  "  They  produce  plenty  of 
fruit  and  vegetables.  Bananas,  shaddocks,  limes,  cocoa- 
nuts,  yams,  taro,  cucumbers,  and  a  species  of  sweet 
potato  are  cultivated  and  can  be  had  in  abundance." 

"  That  sounds  good,"  said  Eugene ;  "  but  how  about 
animals  ?  " 

"  There  are  but  few  animals,"  replied  Professor  Greg- 
ory ;  "  the  most  remarkable  is  a  diminutive  species  of 
hog,  the  funniest  thing  I  ever  saw,  and  which,  when  full- 
grown,  is  not  larger  than  a  rabbit." 

^"  I  should  like  to  see  one  of  the  little  fellows,"  said 
Eugene. 

"  They  are  well  worth  it,  I  assure  you,"  returned  the 
Professor. 

"  The  natives  are  of  the  Papuan  negro  race,"  said 
23 


632 


NEW    HEBRIDES. 


Chester,  "  that  I   have  found  out  from  the  books,  and 
from  Professor  Singleton  here." 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  it,"  assented  Professor  Greg- 
ory. "  They  are 
black  of  skin, 
but  tall  and 
well-formed, 
and  their  dress 
in  many  points 
resembles  the 
costume  of  sev- 
eral  African 
tribes.  That  of 
the  men 


con- 
sists of  a  broad 
belt  or  wrapper 
of  matting 
worked  in  pat- 
terns colored 
with  red,  white, 
and  black.  The 
hair  is  generally 
gathered  up  into 
a  bunch  at  the 
top  of  the  head, 
stained  yellow, 
and  adorned 
with  a  plume  of 
feathers.  The 
lobes  of  the  ears 
are  always 
much  distended,  NATIVES  OP  TOE  NEW  HEBRIDES. 

from  the  habit  of  wearing  in  them  heavy  ornaments  cut 
from  white  shells,  or  similar  materials.  The  septum  of 
the  nose  is  usually  pierced,  and  the  aperture  filled  with  a 


NEW   HEBRIDES.  533 

white  stone.  Raised  scars  are  made  on  the  arms  and 
chest,  and  arranged  in  definite  patterns.  Armlets  made 
of  shells  are  also  used  by  them. 

"  The  women  are  equally  well-made  with  the  men,  and 
the  general  fashion  of  their  dress  and  adornments  is 
much  the  same.  One  article,  however,  is  different  and 
worthy  of  notice.  Passing  round  the  waist  is  a  belt 
some  seven  inches  wide,  made  of  plaited  fiber,  woven 
into  neat  patterns.  From  this  belt  depends  in  front  a 
small  square  apron,  and  behind  is  attached  a  broad  strip 
of  the  same  plaited  matting  as  that  which  faces  the  belt. 
It  descends  half-way  down  the  leg,  and  is  finished  off 
with  a  fan-like  fringe  of  plaited  grass,  some  eighteen 
inches  long,  and  of  proportionate  width.  The  women  as 
well  as  the  men,  practice  the  custom  of  making  raised 
scars  on  their  bodies.  They  differ  from  the  men  in  the 
mode  of  dressing  the  hair,  reminding  one  of  the  women 
of  the  Isle  of  Pines,  as  they  keep  it  cut  close  to  the  head, 
instead  of  allowing  it  to  grow  to  its  full  length  and  tying 
it  up  in  a  bunch.  These  people  are  less  intelligent  than 
the  other  South  Sea  Islanders,  and  are,  I  think,  justly 
accused  of  cannibalism.  Their  habits,  to  my  certain 
knowledge,  are  disgusting,  their  persons  filthy,  and  their 
faces  are  usually  smeared  with  turmeric  and  charcoal." 

"  They  chew  the  betel-nut,  too,  do  they  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes,  the  use  of  the  areca  or  betel-nut  and  chunam  is 
quite  general?" 

"  They  must  have  had  more  or  less  intercourse  witli 
the  Malays,"  suggested  Professor  Singleton. 

"  Without  a  doubt,"  rejoined  the  other  Professor ;  "  for, 
from  observation,  I  know  the  language  possesses  a  great 
similarity  to  that  of  the  Malays." 

"  They  are  not  navigators,  I  believe  ?  "  said  Mr.  Davis. 

"Nothing  of   the  kind,"   exclaimed   Captain   Watson, 


534  QUEEN  CHARLOTTE'S  ISLANDS. 

quickly.  "They  have  no  canoes — don't  know  how  to 
make  them,  and  when  they  are  obliged  to  venture  on  the 
water,  use  a  sort  of  raft,  on  which  they  only  go  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  shore." 

"  When  was  the  group  discovered  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  In  1606,  by  Quiros,"  answered  Professor  Gregory ; 
"  but  he  only  saw  one  of  the  northern  islands,  the  largest, 
which  he  supposed  to  be  a  portion  of  a  continent,  and 
named  it  Australia  del  Espiritu  Santo.  A  century  and 
a  half  later,  Bougainville  ascertained  that  this  portion 
consisted  of  several  islands,  which  he  called  the  Great 
Cyclades.  Cook  discovered  the  greater  part  of  the  south- 
ern chain  in  1773,  and  called  the  whole  group  the  New 
Hebrides ;  and  as  his  discoveries  much  exceeded  those 
previously  made,  this  name  has  superseded  that  applied 
by  Bougainville." 

"  Professor,"  said  Chester,  abruptly,  "  I  thought  Vani- 
kora,  where  La  P^rouse  and  his  crew  perished,  was  one 
of  the  Queen  Charlotte's,  or  -Santa  Cruz  Islands." 

"  Well,"  returned  Professor  Gregory,  "  some  geogra- 
phers make  a  separate  group  of  that  cluster,  and,  on  the 
whole,  it  is  more  nearly  correct  to  do  so." 

"  For  my  part,"  remarked  Professor  Singleton,  "  I 
think  the  Queen  Charlotte's  are  a  well-defined  group  by 
themselves.  They  arc  at  some  little  distance  to  the  north 
of  the  New  Hebrides  proper,  lying  between  the  tenth  and 
twelfth  degrees  of  south  latitude,  and  165°  and  168°  of 
of  east  longitude.  Santa  Cruz  is  the  largest  of  the  group, 
being  twenty  miles  long  by  ten  wide.  The  natives  belong 
to  the  Austral  race  of  negroes.  These  islands  were  first 
discovered  by  Mandana  in  1595,  but  were  never  again 
visited  till  Captain  Carteret,  in  1767,  explored  them, 
giving  the  group  the  name  of  his  queen." 

"  Did  you  go  to  the  Solomon  Islands,  Professor  ? "  asked 
Chester,  turning  to  Professor  Gregory. 


SOLOMON    ISLANDS.  535 

"  I  did  not,"  was  the  answer ;  "  my  time  was  so  nearly 
up  that,  from  Santa  Cruz  I  returned  to  Sydney.  But 
Captain  Watson  here  has  visited  those  islands,  and  others 
to  the  north  and  northeast  of  Australia." 

"  And  what  did  you  think  of  the  Solomon  Islands,  Cap- 
tain ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"In  some  respects  they  are  well  enough,"  was  the 
reply ;  "  but,  on  the  whole,  I  would  not  advise  you  to 
visit  them." 

"  Why  not ;  is  the  climate  not  healthful  ?  " 

"  You  might  survive  the  climate.  It  was  the  natives  I 
was  thinking  of." 

"  Ah !  they  are  fierce  and  treacherous,  I  have  heard." 

"  So  treacherous  that  they  display  a  great  genius  for 
lulling  voyagers  into  a  fancied  security,  and  then  murder- 
ing and  eating  them.  .They  have  committed  so  many 
murders  on  seamen,  and  even  captured  so  many  vessels, 
that  the  greatest  precautions  are  now  taken  by  those  who 
visit  the  islands." 

"  But  why  should  any  one  want  to  visit  them,  if  they 
are  obliged  to  run  such  risks?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Ah,  for  the  sake  of  gain  man  will  take  any  risks ; 
and  the  fact  is  that  the  hawk's-bill  turtle,  so  valued  as 
supplying  the  tortoise-shell  of  commerce,  is  plentiful  on 
the  coasts,  and  is  captured  by  the  natives,  who  reserve 
the  shell  for  barter  with  vessels." 

"  How  do  the  ships  manage  to  carry  on  the  trade  ? " 

"  They  only  approach  to  within  a  certain  distance  of 
the  shore,  where  they  anchor,  the  natives  then  put  off  in 
canoes ;  but  only  a  certain  number  are  allowed  to  ap- 
proach, the  hammock  nettings  being  triced  up  so  as  to 
prevent  them  from  boarding  the  vessel.  Only  the  princi- 
pal chief  is  allowed  to  come  on  board,  and  through  him 
the  bargains  are  made.  These  are  very  tedious,  as  the 
natives  will  insist  on  haggling  separately  over  each  piece 


536 


SOLOMON    ISLANDS. 


of  tortoise-shell,  instead  of  selling  the  whole  lot  at  once, 
as  is  done  at  other  places.  The  usual  articles  of  mer- 
chandise are  employed  in  the  trade,  such  as  glass  bottles, 
beads,  axes,  cloth,  knives,  and  similar  objects." 

"  The  natives  are  not  handsome,  I  believe,"  said  Eugene. 

"  No,  indeed ;   they  are  very  dark,  and  may  even  be 


A   SOLOMON   ISLANDER. 

called  black,  with  thick  and  crispy  hair.  Neither  do 
they  add  to  their  beauty  by  their  modes  of  adornment. 
The  inveterate  use  of  the  betel-nut  blackens  their  teeth, 
and  their  faces  arc  often  disfigured  with  streaks  and 
patches  of  white  paint,  which  has  a  horribly  ghastly 
appearance  against  the  black  skin.  They  are  fond  of 


SOLOMON    ISLANDS.  537 

wearing  numerous  ornaments  in  their  ears,  the  lobes  of 
•which  are  perforated,  and  so  distended  that  they  can 
wear  in  them  circular  blocks  of  wood  nine  inches  in 
circumference.  Their  chief  ornament  is,  however,  an 
armlet  made  from  a  large  shell  found  on  the  reefs. 
Shells  of  sufficient  size  for  this  purpose  are  extremely 
rare,  and  are  prized  even  more  than  whale's  teeth  among 
the  Marquesans.  Wars  are  often  caused  by  a  struggle 
for  the  possession  of  a  single  armlet ;  while  in  compari- 
son with  so  valuable  an  article,  human  life  is  regarded 
as  utterly  worthless." 

"  They  don't  wear  a  great  deal  of  clothing,  I  suppose  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  They  care  very  little  for  clothing,"  returned  the  Cap- 
tain, "  their  whole  dress  being  simply  a  piece  of  matting 
tied  round  the  waist.  But  they  stain  their  hair  yellow, 
white,  or  red,  like  the  Fijians." 

"  The  negrillos  are  not  the  only  race  on  the  islands  ?  " 
said  Professor  Singleton,  inquiringly. 

"  No,  there  are  more  or  less  Malays  everywhere.  The 
population  is  very  irregularly  distributed,  however,  the 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  being  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  group." 

"How  many  islands  are  there?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Seven  large,  and  quite  a  number  of  small  ones.  The 
more  important  are  Bougainville,  Choiseul,  Malayta,  Santa 
Isabella,  New  Georgia,  Guadalcanar,  and  San  Cristoval, 
the  area  of  the  whole  being  about  10,000  square  miles. 

"  Are  they  mountainous  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  There  are  mountains  of  considerable  height  in  many 
of  them.  The  shores,  however,  are  generally  low,  and 
in  some  places  bordered  with  mangrove  swamps." 

"  Are  they  well  watered  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  are  numerous  streams,  and  the  tempera- 
ture is  cooled  by  copious  rains." 

"  They  must  be  exceedingly  fertile." 


638  SOLOMON   ISLANDS. 

"  Few  islands  are  more  so  ;  bananas,  yams,  sugar  cane, 
and  ginger  are  extensively  cultivated ;  and  the  bread-' 
fruit,  cacao,  and  clove  trees  are  seen  on  every  hand." 

"  Who  discovered  the  group  ? " 

"It  was  discovered  and  the  islands  were  explored  in 
1568,  by  Alvero  de  Mendana,  the  great  Spanish  navigator, 
who  was  sent  out  by  his  uncle  Lope  de  Castro,  viceroy 
of  Peru.  Being  desirous  of  inducing  his  countrymen  to 
visit  and  colonize  so  fertile  a  land,  he  concocted  a  pious 
fraud,  and  called  the  group  Solomons  Islands,  as  being 
the  Ophir  from  which  Solomon's  ships  brought  the  vast 
quantities  of  gold  with  which  he  adorned  the  Temple 
and  his  own  wonderful  palace." 

"  Did  his  scheme  work  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  did  not ;  and  for  a  very  good  reason  :  When  he 
again  went  in  search  of  the  islands  he  could  not  find 
them,  owing,  I  suppose,  to  the  imperfect  instruments  he 
had  used  in  locating  them.  He  afterwards,  as  I  presume 
you  know,  died  off  one  of  the  islands  of  Queen  Char- 
lotte's group,  in  1595,  while  on  his  way  to  colonize  them." 

"  Excuse  me  a  moment,"  said  Captain  Bradford,  sud- 
denly. "  There  comes  Tom  Grayson.  Something  must 
be  up,  and  Seth  Cook  has  sent  him  to  inform  us." 

At  this  announcement  all  started  to  their  feet,  and 
Chester  and  Eugene  hastened  after  the  Captain,  who  was 
already  on  his  way  to  meet  the  old  sailor. 


CARVED  FEATHER  BOX. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PAPUA  — THE  MOLUCCA  ISLANDS. 

""TTTELL,  Tom;  what  is  it?"  asked  Captain  Brad- 
V  V  ford,  when  the  old  salt  had  rolled  into  speak- 
ing distance. 

"  The  Rover  is  in  port,  sir ;  and  her  mate,  Daniel  Kirby, 
is  on  shore." 

"  What  is  he  doing  ?     Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  I  met  him  with  the  British  consul,  as  I  came  along, 
just  now.  Near  the  consul's  house  they  were  joined  by 
a  third  party  —  a  spruce-rigged  chap  —  and  all  went  in 
together." 

"  Did  the  mate  know  you  ?" 

"  Can't  say ;  think  not,  —  but  this  rig,  you  know, 
Cap'n." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  he  would  remember  that.  No  signs  of  the 
sloop,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No,  sir;  but  if  you  please,  sir,  Mr.  Cook  thinks  you  'd 
better  come  off,  in  case  she  should  slip  in,  sudden  like, 
you  understand." 

"He's  right,"  said  the  Captain,  turning  to  the  broth- 
ers ;  "  we  had  better  go  on  board  at  once." 

"  As  we  may  be  obliged  to  lie  quietly  in  the  harbor  the 
rest  of  the  day,  why  not  invite  all  our  friends  here  to 
join  us  ?  "  suggested  Eugene. 

"  A  good  idea !  And  it  may  mislead  Kirby.  We  '11 
do  it." 

"  The  invitation  was  given,  and  promptly  accepted ; 
and  half  an  hour  later  the  whole  party  were  seated  under 

an  ample  awning  on  the  yacht's  quarter-deck. 

22*  l  (539) 


540  PAPUA. 

The  Rover  lay  at  a  short  distance  on  the  larboard 
quarter,  but  the  other  vessel  had  not  made  her  appear- 
ance, neither  had  Daniel  Kirby  returned  to  the  schooner. 

"  Well,"  said  Eugene,  presently,  with  a  sigh,  "  I  sup- 
pose we  are  likely  to  have  some  hours  of  this."  Then, 
abruptly :  "  Captain  Watson,  why  can't  you  go  on  with 
your  story  ?  Tell  us  something  about  New  Ireland,  New 
Britain,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  islands  in  that  wonderful 
region." 

"  I  can  do  so,  if  it  would  be  agreeable,"  said  the 
Captain. 

"  Of  course  it  would ;  so  begin." 

"  Well,  Tambora,  or  New  Ireland,  as  you  call  it,  is 
separated  from  Birara  or  New  Britain  on  the  southwest 
by  St.  George's  Channel,  and  from  Hanover  on  the  north- 
west by  Byron's  Strait.  The  island  is  perhaps  a  little 
more  than  two  hundred  miles  long,  with  an  average 
breadth  of  twenty  miles.  Its  area,  therefore,  is  about 
4,800  square  miles." 

"  There  are  some  quite  respectable  mountains,  are  there 
not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"Yes,  the  mountain  range  reaches  an  altitude  of  1,500 
or  2,000  feet,  with  several  peaks  much  higher,  and  the 
slopes  are  clothed  from  base  to  summit  with  the  most 
luxuriant  forests." 

"What  are  the  highest  peaks?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  They  are  called  '  Mother  and  Daughter.'  Their  exact 
height  I  am  unable  to  give  you." 

"  They  have  some  wonderful  forests,  I  have  been  in- 
formed," observed  Professor  Singleton. 

"Their  forests  are  indeed  wonderful.  The  trees  grow 
to  a  great  height,  many  of  them  being  eighty,  ninety,  and 
even  a  hundred  feet,  perfectly  straight,  and  often  nine  or 
ten  feet  in  circumference." 

"There  are  some  very  good  harbors,  are  there  not, 
James  ? "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 


PAPUA. 

"  There  are  many  good  harbors,  and  several  that  are 
really  excellent,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Are  the  inhabitants  inclined  to  be  industrious  ? " 
asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Judging  from  what  I  saw,  I  should  say  they  were. 
The  lower  tracts  are  all  well  cultivated,  producing  ba- 
nanas, cocoanuts,  sugar-cane,  yams,  and  numerous  other 
plants  and  trees." 


PREPARING    DINNER. 

"The  inhabitants  belong  to  the  same  race  as  their 
neighbors,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  Chester,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  their  villages  are  very 
neat,  and  everything  about  them  has  a  thrifty  look.  Of 
course,  the  women  do  much  of  their  work  in  the  open 
air,  and  I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  watching  the 
young  girls  while  they  were  preparing  their  meals  in  the 
shade  of  a  spreading  tree  or  under  the  canvas  procured 
from  some  trading  vessel." 


542  PAPUA. 

"  What  do  the  islanders  trade  in  mostly  ?" 

"  Fancy  woods  and  tortoise-shell ;  the  latter  of  a  very 
superior  quality." 

"  They  have  some  animals,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Very  few  besides  dogs,  pigs,  and  turtles." 

"  What  is  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  ?  " 

"  Not  far  from  twelve  thousand." 

"  It 's  only  a  step  to  New  Britain  from  New  Ireland  by 
the  nearest  way,"  suggested  Eugene. 

"  St.  George's  channel  is  about  twenty-five  miles  wide," 
returned  the  Captain. 

"  Then  how  wide  is  Dampicr  Strait,  which  separates 
New  Britain  from  Papua  ? " 

"  About  fifty  miles  wide,"  was  the  answer. 

"  New  Britain  is  quite  a  large  island,  is  it  not  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Davis; 

"  Birara  or  New  Britain  contains  an  area  of  about 
10,000  square  miles,"  answered  the  Captain.  "  There 
are  several  islands  belonging  to  the  group.  The  extreme 
length  of  the  large  island  is  three  hundred  miles,  and  its 
breadth  is  from  five  to  fifty  miles.  It  is  of  crescent 
shape,  and  has  several  fine  bays  and  harbors.  At  Spa- 
cious Bay,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  there  is  a  channel 
extending  across  the  island.  In  the  interior  there  arc 
many  high  mountains,  and  in  the  north  several  active 
volcanoes." 

"  Is  the  island  as  productive  as  New  Ireland  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  It  could  be  made  so,"  replied  the  Captain.  "  Much 
of  the  surface  is  covered  with  dense  forests,  and  border- 
ing the  coast  arc  extensive  fertile  plains.  The  principal 
productions  at  present  are  palms,  bread-fruit,  sugar-cane, 
pigs,  turtles,  and  fish.  The  inhabitants  are  a  tribe  of 
negritos,  well-made,  and  very  dark,  but  not  at  all  bad- 
looking." 


PAPUA.  543 

f> 

"  There  are  two  or  three  groups  in  these  waters,"  said 
Eugene,  "  that  I  wish  to  ask  a  word  about.  The  Louisi- 
ade  Archipelago,  Dampier's  group,  and  the  Admiralty 
Islands." 

"  The  first,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  are  just  off  the 
extreme  southeastern  point  of  Papua.  The  Dampier's 
group  are  midway  between  Papua  and  the  Admiralty 
Islands,  and  these  last  are  a  little  northwest  of  New  Ire- 
land and  north  of  Papua.  They  consist  of  one  large 
island,  Admiralty  or  Basco,  in  the  center  of  the  group, 
which  is  nearly  sixty  miles  long;  another  called  Matthias, 
containing  more  than  one  hundred  and  seventeen  square 
miles,  situated  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the  north- 
east, and  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  much  smaller  ones. 
Basco  is  mountainous,  and  can  boast  of  many  lofty  peaks, 
but  generally  the  islands  are  tow  and  fertile,  abounding 
in  cocoanut  and  other  palms." 

"  When  were  the  islands  discovered  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"In  1616,  by  Cornelius  Schooten,"  answered  the 
Captain. 

"  Ah !  that 's  why  they  are  sometimes  called  Schooten's 
Islands,"  exclaimed  Chester. 

"  Exactly,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  and  they  received 
their  present  name  from  Carteret,  who  rediscovered  them 
in  1767." 

"  They  are  not  often  visited,  I  think,"  said  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Very  seldom,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  access  being 
difficult  on  account  of  the  coral  reefs  which  surround 
them." 

"  I  wish  I  had  been  with  you  on  some  of  your  voyages," 
exclaimed  Eugene,  suddenly.  "  Pray,  what  took  you  to 
Papua,  Captain  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  to  that  island  more  than  once,"  was  the 
reply.  "  My  purpose  in  going  there  the  first  time  was 
to  land  two  passengers  —  a  missionary  and  a  naturalist. 


544  PAPUA. 

The  next  time  I  was  on  a  trading  voyage,  and  brought 
away  nutmegs,  tortoise-shell,  a  few  birds  of  paradise, 
and  even  trepang  or  beche-de-mer,  which  I  sold  to  the 
Chinese." 

"  Did  you  see  much  of  the  island  while  you  were  there  ?" 

"  Much  of  it !  "  exclaimed  the  Captain.  "  That 's  hard- 
ly likely.  Why,  my  young  friend,  it 's  the  largest  island 
in  the  world,  with  the  exception  of  Australia  and  possi- 
bly Borneo." 

"  I  did  n't  think  of  that.     About  how  large  is  it  ?" 
•  "Its  extreme  length  is  1,500  miles,  and  its  maximum 
breadth  400  miles.     Its  area  is  estimated  at  nearly,  if 
not  quite,  300,000  square  miles." 

"The  island,  I  suppose,  is  very  little  known  to  civil- 
ized man  ?  "  said  Chester. 

"  It  is  less  known  tha'n  any  other  region  of  equal 
extent  on  the  earth,"  rejoined  the  Captain.  "Until  re- 
cently no  European  had  ever  been  able  to  advance  more 
than  a  short  distance  into  the  interior,  and  even  the 
principal  features  of  the  coast  had  not  been  accurately 
determined.  I  shall  not  undertake  to  describe  its  shape, 
but  be  assured  of  one  thing,  if  you  have  not  seen  a  map 
made  since  Captain  Moresby's  late  survey,  you  have  never 
seen  anything  like  a  correct  representation  of  its  outlines." 

"  The  Dutch  hold  possession  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
island,  do  they  not?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  They  claim  all  that  part  lying  west  of  the  141st 
parallel  of  east  longitude,"  answered  his  friend. 

"Is  the  country  mountainous?"  inquired  Eugene. 
"  Some  authorities  say  that  it  is,  and  others  that  it  is 
not." 

"  I  don't  sec  how  there  can  be  any  question  about  it," 
returned  the  Captain.  "  Mountains  are  visible  in  the 
interior,  from  all  parts  of  the  coast.  The  principal 
chains  are  the  Arfak  range  in  the  northeast  peninsula  j 


PAPUA. 


545 


the  Snowy  Moun- 
tains,  east  of 
Geelvink  Bay ; 
and  the  Stanley 
range,  in  the 
southeast  penin- 
sula." 

"There  must 
be  some  fine  riv- 
ers then,  I  should 
judge." 

"As  to  that  I 
am  not  well  in- 
formed. So  far  as 
I  know,  few  have 
been  discovered  ; 
but  taking  into 
consideration  the 
great  height  of 
the  Papuan  moun- 
tains —  some  of 
the  ranges  reach- 
ing an  altitude  of 
13,000  feet  — and 
remembering 
their  distance 
from  the  coast,  it 
is  natural  to  infer 
that  there  are 
many  large 
streams  in  the 
country." 

"There  must 
be  some  wonder- 
ful forest  trees." 

"Forests  cover 


A   PALM   TREE, 


546  PAPUA. 

a  large  portion  of  the  island,  and  are  of  the  most  trop- 
ical character.  The  palm  nourishes  in  great  perfection, 
and  there  is  much  valuable  timber  growing  to  a  great 
size.  I  saw  any  number  of  trees  from  two  hundred  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height." 

"  It  is  not  a  healthy  country,"  observed  Mr.  Morgan, 
who  had  joined  the  group. 

"  No,"  returned  Captain  Watson,  "  the  climate  of  Pa- 
pua is  warm  and  moist.  During  the  wet  season  the  rains 
on  the  coast  are  exceedingly  heavy,  and  hence,  malarial 
fevers  are  prevalent." 

"  I  think  I  would  be  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  the 
fever  for  the  sake  of  seeing  the  beautiful  birds,"  said 
Eugene. 

"  Ah,"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  "  the  birds  are  indeed 
beautiful  —  wonderfully  so,  and  very  numerous.  There 
are  no  less  than  a  dozen  species  of  birds  of  paradise,  of 
which  eight  are  not  found  elsewhere,  except  in  the  closely 
contiguous  island  of  Salawaty.  There  are  no  less  than 
thirty  species  of  parrots,  among  them  the  largest  and 
smallest  parrots  known  to  ornithologists ;  some  forty 
species  of  pigeons,  including  the  beautiful  crowned  pig- 
eons; and  sixteen  species  of  king-fishers.  The  casso- 
wary is  also  met  with,  and  there  are  many  other  beautiful 
and  curious  forms  among  the  one  hundred  and  eight 
known  genera  of  Papuan  land  birds." 

"  I  had  no  idea  there  were  so  many  species  of  the  birds 
of  paradise,"  observed  Mrs.  Davis. 

"  In  Papua  and  the  Molucca  Islands  there  are  not  less 
than  eighteen  species,"  said  Professor  Gregory.  "These 
beautiful  birds  have  aptly  been  designated 'the  children 
of  the  sun.'  Their  plumage  is  so  flocculent  and  downy 
that  they  arc  incapable  of  flying  otherwise  than  agaimt 
the  wind,  for  were  they  to  fly  with  the  wind,  their  plu- 
mage would  become  so  disordered  that  they  would  be 


PAPUA.  547 

unable  to  control  their  movements.  The  golden  bird  of 
paradise  is  remarkable  for  having  long  slender  feathers, 
ending  in  a  small  oval  vane  on  either  side  of  the  head. 
The  Incomparable  is  distinguished  by  a  tail  three  times 
longer  than  the  body,  and  by  the  most  magnificent  plu- 
mage. The  habits  of  these  beautiful  creatures  are  not 
perfectly  known ;  they  live  in  troops  in  the  vast  forests 
of  the  islands  they  inhabit.  Their  colors  are  much  more 
brilliant  when  living  than  when  dead,  therefore,  only  a 
very  poor  idea  of  them  can  be  formed  from  stuffed  and 
mounted  specimens.  M.  Lenon,  having  visited  Papua, 
and  seen  one  of  them  on  the  wing,  thus  describes  his 
emotions :  '  Scarcely  had  I  walked  a  hundred  paces  into 
these  ancient  forests,  the  daughters  of  Time,  whose 
somber  depth  was,  perhaps,  the  most  magnificent  and 
stately  sight  I  had  ever  seen,  when  a  bird  of  paradise 
struck  on  my  view.  It  flew  gracefully  and  in  undula- 
tions ;  the  feathers  of  its  sides  formed  an  elegant  and 
aerial  plume,  which,  without  exaggeration,  bore  no  little 
resemblance  to  a  brilliant  meteor.  Surprised,  astounded, 
enjoying  an  inexpressible  gratification,  I  devoured  this 
splendid  bird  with  my  eyes  ;  but  my  emotion  was  so  great 
that  I  forgot  to  shoot  at  it,  and  did  not  recollect  that  I 
had  a  gun  in  my  hand  till  it  was  far  away.' " 

"  I  suppose  it  is  only  the  male  birds  that  can  boast  of 
the  brilliant  colors  and  remarkable  plumage  ?"  said  Ches- 
ter, interrogatively. 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  the 
females  throughout  are  very  plain  looking  personages." 

"  They  have  no  song  ?  " 

"  No ;  and  although  you  would  hardly  think  it,  they 
are  allied  in  structure  and  habits  to  crows  and  starlings." 

"  Did  you  ever  read  Wallace's  description  of  their  danc- 
ing parties  ? "  asked  Professor  Singleton,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  never  did,  and  I  should  like  very  much  to  hear  what 


548  PAPUA. 

he  says  about  them,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Davis,  somewhat 
eagerly. 

"  Perhaps  I  cannot  recall  his  exact  words,"  rejoined 
the  Professor,  "  but  the  birds  molt  in  January  and  Febru 
ary  ;  and  are  in  full  plumage  in  May.  At  this  time,  he 
says,  the  males  of  the  great  bird  of  paradise  {Paradisea 
apoda)  assemble  early  in  the  morning  to  exhibit  them- 
selves in  a  singular  manner,  which  the  natives  call  their 
'  Saccleli,'  or  dancing-parties.  The  ball-room  is  a  huge 
tree,  whose  wide  branches  afford  them  abundant  space 
for  display.  On  one  of  these  trees  a  score  of  males  will 
assemble,  raise  their  wings,  and  keep  them  in  constant 
vibration ;  flying  now  and  then  from  branch  to  branch, 
so  that  the  whole  tree  is  alive  with  their  waving  plumes. 
When  at  the  utmost  point  of  excitement,  the  wings  are 
raised  over  the  head,  the  plumes  expanded  until  they 
form  two  magnificent  fans,  overshadowing  the  whole 
body,  while  the  yellow  head  and  green  throat  form  a 
foundation  and  support  for  the  golden  glory  which  waves 
above.  When  seen  in  this  attitude  the  bird  of  paradise 
really  deserves  its  name,  and  must  be  ranked  as  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  living  things. 

" '  Tliis  habit  enables  the  natives  to  obtain  specimens 
with  more  ease,'  says  Dr.  Ilartwig.  '  As  soon  as  they 
find  that  the  birds  have  fixed  upon  a  tree  on  which  to 
assemble,  they  build  a  little  shelter  of  palm-leaves  in  a 
convenient  place  among  the  branches,  and  the  hunter 
ensconces  himself  in  it  before  daylight,  armed  with  his 
bow  and  a  number  of  arrows  terminating  in  a  round 
knob.  A  boy  waits  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  when  the 
birds  come  at  sunrise,  and  a  sufficient  number  have 
assembled,  find  have  begun  to  dance,  the  hunter  shoots 
with  his  blunt  arrow  so  strongly  as  to  stun  the  bird, 
which  drops  down  and  is  secured  without  its  plumage 
being  injured  by  a  drop  of  blood.  The  rest  take  no 


PAPUA.  549 

notice,  and  fall  one  after  another  till  at  last  some  of 
them  take  the  alarm. 

" '  Another  species,  the  red  bird  of  paradise,  found 
in  some  parts  of  Papua,  is  caught  in  a  very  ingenious 
manner :  There  is  a  large  tree  bearing  a  red  fruit,  of 
which  these  birds  are  very  fond.  The  hunters  'fasten 
this  fruit  on  a  stout  forked  stick,  and  provide  themselves 
with  a  fine  strong  cord.  They  then  find  out  some  tree 
in  the  forest  upon  which  these  birds  are  accustomed  to 
perch ;  and  climbing  up  it,  fasten  the  stick  to  a  branch, 
and  arrange  the  cord  in  a  noose  so  ingeniously  that  when 
the  bird  comes  to  eat,  its  legs  are  caught ;  and  by  pulling 
the  end  of  the  cord,  which  hangs  to  the  ground,  it  comes 
down  free  from  the  branch,  and  brings  down  the  bird. 
Sometimes  when  this  favorite  food  is  abundant  elsewhere, 
the  hunter  sits  from  morning  to  night  under  his  tree, 
and  often  for  two  or  three  whole  days  -in  succession, 
without  getting  even  a  bite ;  while  at  other  times,  if  very 
lucky,  he  may  get  two  or  three  birds  a  day.' ' 

"  About  how  many  inhabitants  are  there  on  the  island  ?" 
inquired  Mr.  Davis. 

"  There  is  no  means  of  forming  any  trustworthy  esti- 
mate, that  I  am  aware  of,"  replied  Professor  Gregory. 

"  It  is  the  true  home  of  the  typical  Papuan  race," 
observed  Professor  Singleton. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Captain  Watson,  "  and  I  noticed  with 
interest  that  they  have  a  facial  expression  not  unlike  that 
of  Europeans." 

"  It  is  an  unmixed  race,  is  it  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  According  to  the  best  authorities,  no  other  indigenous 
race  exists  on  the  island,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Are  the  natives  at  all  industrious  ? "  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Captain  Moresby,  who  visited  the  southeast  peninsula 
in  1873,  says  that  the  country,  although  very  rugged  and 
mountainous,  is  intersected  by  fertile  valleys,  which  are 


650 


PAPUA. 


well  cultivated  by  the  natives,  who  there  excel  as  agricul- 
turists. Their  villages  in  this  region  he  describes  as 
singularly  neat,  in  which  respect  they  contrast  favorably 
with  those  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  island  near 
Dorey,  where  the  houses  are  built  on  poles  fifteen  feet 
above  the  ground. 

"  Taken  as  a  race,  they  are  very  fine  examples  of  sav- 
age humanity,  tall,  well-shaped,  and  powerful.  They  are 
remarkable  for  two  physical  peculiarities.  The  one  is  a 

roughness  of  the 
skin,  and  the  other 
is  the  growth  of  the 
hair.  The  hair 
grows  in  regular 
tufts  or  patches, 
each  about  the  size 
of  a  pea,  and  attains 
to  a  considerable 
length,  sometimes 
measuring  eighteen 
inches  from  root  to 
tip.  The  Papuans 
are  very  proud  of 
this  natural  orna- 
i  ment,  and  therefore 
will  seldom  cut  it 
off;  but  as,  if  left 
untrained,  it  would 
fall  ever  the  eyes, 
they  have  various  modes  of  dressing  it,  generally,  how- 
ever, they  make  it  stand  out  at  right-angles  from  the 
head ;  and,  as  the  hair  is  very  coarse,  crisp,  and  stiff,  it 
assumes  a  mop-like  shape,  and  increases  the  apparent  size 
of  the  head  to  an  enormous  extent." 

"  That 's  where  they  and  their  island  get  their  name," 


NATIVE    PAPUAN. 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS.  551 

explained  Professor  Singleton  ;  "  the  word  Papua  is  de- 
rived from  this  peculiarity  of  the  hair.  In  the  Malay 
language,  the  word  which  signifies  '  crisped '  is  puapua, 
which,  of  course,  is  easily  contracted  into pas-pua" 

"  No  doubt,  Captain,  you  have  visited  the  Molucca 
Islands,  on  some  of  your  many  voyages  ? "  said  Chester, 
interrogatively. 

"  Of  course,  one  could  hardly  sail  those  seas  without 
touching  at  the  Spice  Islands  occasionally." 

"Do  tell  us  about  them,  Captain,"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Davis,  eagerly ;  "  for  there  has  always  been  something 
fascinating  in  the  very  name  to  me." 

"  Well,  the  Moluccas,  or  Spice  Islands,  as  I  like  better 
to  call  them,  are  a  group  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  constitu- 
ting a  part  of  the  Indian  Archipelago,  and  lie  between 
the  latitude  of  5°  north  and  9°  south,  and  between  the 
longitudes  of  122°  and  131°  east,  and  distributed  over 
the  sea  from  the  east  coast  of  the  island  of  Celebes  to 
the  western  point  of  Papua. 

"  Though  the  number  of  the  Moluccas  is  estimated  at 
several  hundreds,  only  a  few  are  of  any  remarkable  mag- 
nitude or  particular  importance.  The  large  islands  are 
Ceram,  Gilolo,  and  Booro.  This  part  of  the  archipelago 
is  naturally  divided  into  three  clusters,  namely,  the  Mo- 
luccas proper  or  Gilolo  group,  the  Ccram  group,  and  the 
Timor  Lant  group.  The  first  includes  Gilolo,  Morty, 
Mandioly,  Batchian,  Oby,  Makian,  Motir,  Tidore,  Ternate, 
and  many  other  islands.  The  Ceram  cluster,  which  lies 
in  the  center  of  the  group,  contains,  among  others,  Ce- 
ram, Booro,  Amboyna,  and  Banda.  The  third  cluster 
lies  further  south,  between  Australia  and  the  west  of 
Papua,  Timor  Lant  being  the  principal  island,  and  the 
Kei  Isles  and  Arrus  helping  to  make  up  the  group. 

"  Nearly  all  the  Moluccas  are  mountainous,  the  peaks 
of  their  ridges  reaching  to  an  altitude  of  from  7,000  to 


552  JtQLUCQA  ISLANDS. 

8,000  feet,  the  base  on  which  they  rest  being  nearly  all 
volcanic.  Though  the  surface  is  broken  and  extremely 
rugged,  the  islands,  taken  generally,  are  particularly 
fertile.  The  coast  is  defended  by  coral  reefs,  and  each 
island  has  one  or  more  secure  and  often  commodious 
harbors  or  basins  for  shipping.  Though  the  greater 
number  lie  nearly  under  the  equator,  yet,  from  the  length 
of  the  monsoons  and  the  smallness  of  terrestrial  surface, 
the  heat  is  by  no  means  so  great  or  oppressive  as  it  would 
be  were  the  surface  larger  or  the  trade  winds  less  fre- 
quent. The  vegetable  products  are  the  same  as  those  of 
Java,  with  the  exception  of  rice,  all  of  which  is  imported, 
the  natives  living  chiefly  on  the  products  of  the  sago- 
palm.  Oranges,  lemons,  and  most  other  fruits  are  abun- 
dant. The  staple  of  the  islands,  however,  are  the  spices, 
especially  cloves,  mace,  and  nutmegs.  Edible  bird's  nests, 
shark-fins,  and  sea-cucumbers  or  trepang,  form  a  large 
branch  of  the  native  trade  with  China,  as  well  as  a  small 
amount  of  gold,  and  birds  of  paradise.  Fish  are  abun- 
dant in  all  the  waters,  and  on  the  land  a  species  of  deer 
and  wild  hogs  abound.  Serpents  of  a  dangerous  charac- 
ter infest  the  islands,  as  does  a  ravenous  variety  of  the 
alligator.  The  inhabitants  are  composed  chiefly  of  two 
races,  the  Malays,  who  here,  as  everywhere  else,  monopo- 
lize the  sea-board,  and  the  Papuans,  who  occupy  the 
mountains  and  interior ;  and  though  a  few  of  them  are 
Mahommedans,  the  great  bulk  of  the  people  are  idolaters. 
The  Moluccan  Malays  are  generally  industrious;  they 
cultivate  the  soil  or  gain  a  subsistence  by  fishing.  They 
are  very  expert  in  the  construction  and  management  of 
their  vessels,  and  are  greatly  addicted  to  piracy." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  they  are  addicted  to  piracy,"  observed 
Eugene ;  "  but  I  must  say  I  am  beginning  to  feel  some 
respect  for  the  Malays.  They  seem  to  me  to  be  a  bold, 
pushing,  and  thoroughly  energetic  race." 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  553 

"  They  are  one  of  the  most  civilized  and  aggressive  na- 
tions of  their  part  of  the  world,"  returned  the  Captain. 
"  They  are,  as  you  say,  a  bold,  roving,  and  energetic  race 
of  people,  strongly  addicted  to  war,  plunder,  emigration, 
adventure,  and  gallantry.  Their  residences,  whether  on 
the  Malayan  peninsula  or  the  larger  islands,  are  always 
on  the  coast,  driving  the  natives,  who  look  on  them  with 
dread,  wherever  they  colonize,  from  the  sea-board,  and  in 
a  measure  shutting  them  up  in  the  center  of  the  land, 
while  in  the  smaller  isles  they  have  exterminated  the 
original  possessors.  In  the  north  of  their  own  peninsula, 
they  are  mixed  with  the  Siamese,  and  in  other  places 
where  the  natives  are  more  numerous  and  resolute,  with 
the  Burmese  and  Celebes.  Physically  considered,  the 
Malays  are  rather  below  the  ordinary  stature,  well- 
formed,  but  slight,  and  with  remarkably  small  wrists 
and  ankles ;  the  face  round,  mouth  large,  teeth  fine,  jaw 
square,  and  prominent  cheek  bones.  The  nose  is  short 
and  small,  but  never  flat;  the  eyes  black,  hair  long, 
harsh,  and  shiny,  and  of  a  deep  black,  and  the  complex- 
ion tawny.  They  practice  agriculture,  have  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  mechanical  arts,  and  a  limited  acquaintance 
with  medicine.  They  are  the  greatest  boasters  of  all  the 
Asiatic  natives,  talk  incessantly  of  their  truth  and  honor, 
and  yet,  Mr.  Eugene,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  in  all  the  pur- 
poses of  life  they  are  the  most  false,  ferocious,  and 
treacherous  people  alive ;  while  the  soft  and  musical 
language  in  which  they  express  their  ideas  —  in  these 
respects  the  most  pleasing  imaginable  —  makes  their 
treachery  seem  more  hateful  from  the  gentle  tones  in 
which  their  murderous  projects  are  clothed." 

"  But  they  are  kind  husbands  and  indulgent  fathers, 
are  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Generally,  I  think,  they  are  considerate  toward  their 


554 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 


wives,  and  regard  their  children  with  affection.     On  the 
whole,  the  little  ones  are  a  happy  race  of  mortals." 

"  But,  judging  from  what  you  say,  I  apprehend  the 
Malays  are  not  a  very  devout  race,"  observed  Mr.  Davis. 


"  No,  their  religion,  though  a  mixture  of  Mahommed- 
anism  of  the  Hoonnce  sect,  is  the  most  tolerant  and  lib- 
eral of  all  the  creeds  and  opinions  of  Asia,  These 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 


555 


people  never  forgive  an  affront,  but  sooner  or  later  take 
a  cruel  revenge.  They  live  by  plunder,  and,  as  I  have 
already  said,  are  naturally  pirates,  darting  out  from  their 
back  streams  and  hidden  rivers  in  their  strongly  manned 
proahs  upon  any  vessel  that  approaches  too  near  their 
coast,  or  in  fleets  lying  in  wait  on  the  open  sea,  for  any 
rich  prize  on  her  homeward  or  outward  voyage." 


MALAY  WOMAN  AND  CHILD. 

"  When  were  the  Moluccas  discovered  t "  asked  Eugene. 

"  They  were  discovered  in  loll,"  answered  the  Cap- 
tain, "by  the  Portuguese,  who,  after  holding  them  for 
nearly  a  century,  were  expelled  in  1G07  by  the  Dutch. 
Ten  years  later,  the  English  obtained  a  right  to  trade 
with  the  islands,  which  the  Dutch  ultimately  allowed  to 

the  extent  of  a  third  of  the  produce,  each  country  con- 
23 


556  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

tributing  a  contingent  to  the  defense  and  military  gov- 
ernment of  the  islands.  The  Dutch,  however,  jealous  of 
their  English  rivals,  determined  to  get  rid  of  them,  and, 
to  this  end,  in  the  year  1622,  they  resolved  to  accuse 
them  of  a  conspiracy  with  the  Amboynese,  to  seize  one 
of  their  forts.  They  managed  to  get  a  Japanese  and 
a  Portuguese,  who  were  in  the  English  service,  into  their 
power,  and  secretly  put  them  to  torture  until  they  had 
1  confessed '  whatever  was  wanted  of  them.  Then,  under 
the  semblance  of  the  purest  friendship  and  neighborly 
hospitality,  they  invited  the  governor,  officers,  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  —  in  fact,  the  entire  community  of  the 
English  factory,  to  the  Dutch  settlement,  on  the  plea  of 
celebrating  some  national  event,  in  which  both  nations 
were  supposed  to  feel  an  interest ;  when,  in  the  midst  of 
confidence  and  rejoicing,  and  following  on  a  small  scale 
the  example  of  Ethelred's  massacre  of  the  Danes,  the 
Dutch  suddenly  fell  upon  the  unsuspecting  English,  and 
brutally  murdered  a  great  number,  and  made  prisoners 
of  all  who  escaped  the  first  savage  onslaught.  Had  they 
completed  their  savage  deed  at  once,-  and  put  old  and 
young,  women  and  children,  to  the  sword  upon  the  spot, 
horrible  and  revolting  as  the  act  would  have  been  for  a 
civilized  people  to  perpetrate  on  men  of  their  own  faith, 
it  would  have  been  mild  compared  with  the  atrocities 
which  marked  the  sequel  of  this  fearful  tragedy  ;  for, 
with  a  malignity  of  feeling  and  a  refinement  of  cruelty 
only  worthy  of  the  worst  days  of  the  Vehmic,  the  pris- 
oners, loaded  with  chains,  were  thrown  into  cells  and 
dungeons,  where,  from  the  heat  and  dearth  of  water, 
they  suffered  dreadful  torments,  being  brought  forth 
singly  to  endure  all  the  agony  that  racks,  pincers,  and 
other  implements  of  torture  could  inflict  on  their  naked 
flesh.  In  this  manner,  with  every  conceivable  suffering, 
the  Dutch  gloated  over  the  total  extermination  of  their 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  557 

rivals ;  the  women  being  subjected  to  double  torture, 
their  dying  moments  agonized  by  the  sight  of  their 
butchered  children,  for  these  Christian  savages  left  not 
one  of  that  unhappy  colony  alive  to  tell  the  tale  of  mur- 
der, and  it  was  by  strangers  and  natives  the  world  heard 
of  this  outrage  on  England's  honor." 

"  Well,"  said  Eugene,  thoughtfully,  "  I  knew  the  Dutch 
would  do  most  anything  for  the  sake  of  wealth  and 
power,  but  I  did  n't  suppose  they  were  quite  so  bad  as 
that." 

"  They  have  been  guilty,  I  find,  of  several  just  such 
acts  of  heartless  cruelty,"  returned  the  Captain. 

"  Amboyna,  where  this  fearful  tragedy  occurred,  is 
really  the  island  of  the  Moluccas,  is  it  not?"  asked 
Chester. 

"Though  small  as  respects  geographical  extent,  pre- 
senting a  superficial  surface  of  but  two  hundred  and 
eighty  square  miles,"  returned  the  Captain,  with  enthu- 
siasm, "  Amboyna  is  the  most  valuable  and  productive  of 
all  the  islands  in  this  region  of  spice  and  perfume ;  for 
the  cinnamon,  nutmeg,  clove,  and  all  the  pepper  bushes 
that  yield  the  various  sorts  of  this  condiment,  grow  here 
in  profusion,  while,  in  addition,  the  sago  tree  is  native  to 
the  soil,  and  flourishes  with  cotton,  indigo,  and  all  the 
luscious  fruits  common  to  tropical  climes.  Indeed,  so 
valuable  is  the  island,  and  so  high  a  value  do  the  Dutch 
put  upon  it,  that  its  possession  is  regarded  with  more 
consideration  than  any  other  colony  belonging  to  their 
crown  ;  and  so  great  has  been  their  jealousy  of  being  sole 
masters  of  this  settlement,  that,  as  you  already  know, 
they  have  stopped  short  of  no  treachery  or  blood  that 
would  insure  them  its  sovereignty.  When  they  had 
firmly  established  themselves  in  the  Moluccas,  they  en- 
deavored to  get  the  exclusive  trade  of  spices  into  their 
own  hands ;  an  advantage  which  the  nations  they  had 


558  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

expelled  were  never  able  to  procure.  They  skillfully 
availed  themselves  of  the  forts  they  had  taken,  and  those 
they  had  erected,  to  draw  the  kings  of  Ternate  and 
Tydor,  who  had  considerable  authority  in  the  archipelago, 
into  their  scheme.  These  petty  kings,  for  a  small  sum, 
—  a  little  more  than  $15,000  —  agreed  to  root  out  all  the 
clove  and  nutmeg  trees  in  islands  under  their  dominions  ; 
and  a  garrison  of  seven  hundred  men  was  appointed  to 
secure  the  performance  of  the  treaty.  At  Amboyna  they 
concentrated  the  cultivation  of  cloves.  They  allotted  to 
the  inhabitants  four  thousand  parcels  of  land,  on  each  of 
which  they  were  compelled  to  plant  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  trees,  amounting,  in  all,  to  five  hundred  thou- 
sand ;  and  the  collective  produce  averages  more  than 
1,000,000  pounds.  To  keep  up  prices  in  foreign  markets 
they  frequently  burned  whole'  cargoes  of  spices." 

"  I  am  beginning  to  like  the  Dutch  less  and  less,  I 
think,"  muttered  Eugene.  "Burn  whole  cargoes  of 
spices,  indeed  !  The  selfish,  mutton-headed  fellows  !  " 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  are  indignant,"  smiled  Mrs. 
Davis  ;  "  I  am,  myself." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  husband,  carelessly,  "  she  is  very  fond 
of  spices." 

"  It  is  from  the  Banda  Islands  we  get  our  best  nut- 
megs, is  it  not,  Captain  ?"  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  there  are  twelve  of  them,  all 
small.  Two  of  them  are  uncultivated  and  almost  unin- 
habited, and  three  others  claim  the  distinction  of  pro- 
ducing the  best  nutmegs  in  the  world.  Excepting  this 
valuable  spice,  the  Banda  Isles  arc  fearfully  barren.  The 
land  will  not  produce  any  kind  of  grain,  and  the  sago 
serves  the  natives  of  the  country  instead  of  bread.  The 
land  is  mostly  owned  by  Europeans.  The  Dutch,  finding 
that  the  natives  were  savage,  cruel,  and  treacherous, 
because  they  were  impatient  under  their  yoke,  resolved 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  559 

to  exterminate  them,  and  did  so.  Their  possessions  were 
then  divided  among  the  white  settlers,  who  procured 
slaves  from  some  of  the  neighboring  islands  to  cultivate 
the  lands.  The  climate  of  the  Bandas  is  particularly 
unhealthy,  for  which  reason  the  Dutch  attempted  to 
transfer  the  culture  of  the  nutmeg  to  Amboyna,  but  their 
experiments  were  not  successful  in  giving  them  as  good 
a  spice  there." 

"  Timor  is  not  classed  as  one  of  the  Moluccas,  I  sup- 
pose ?  "  said  Mr.  Davis,  interrogatively. 

"  No,"  answered  Captain  Watson,  "  it  belongs  to  the 
Indian  archipelago." 

"  It  is  quite  a  large  island." 

"  About  three  hundred  miles  long  and  fifty  miles  wide, 
with  200,000  population." 

"  Does  it  also  belong  to  the  Dutch  ?" 

"  The  natives  on  the  western  and  southern  coasts 
acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  the  Dutch,  who  have  their 
principal  settlement  at  Kupang,  or  Coepang,  as  it  is 
sometinies  called." 

"  The  Portuguese  are  also  established  on  the  island," 
observed  Chester. 

"Yes,"  assented  the  Captain,  "at  Dilli ;  and  the  natives 
of  the  eastern  and  northern  parts  pay  tribute  to  them." 

"  Is  it  a  rich  island  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Fairly  so,"  was  the  reply.  "  A  considerable  trade  is 
carried  on,  principally  from  Kupang,  and  is  chiefly  in  the 
hands  of  the  Chinese." 

"  What  have  you  to  say  of  the  people  ? "  asked  Mr. 
Davis. 

"  They  are  of  low  stature,  with  very  dark  complexions 
and  bushy  hair,  and  resemble  the  Papuans.  The  women 
weave  cloth,  while  the  only  work  the  men  do  is  to  con- 
struct canoes  and  make  ornaments  for  their  horses." 


5GO  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

"  Celebes  is  wholly  under  the  control  of  the  Dutch,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken  ?  "  said  Chester,  in  an  inquiring  tone. 

"  Yes ;  and  it  also  belongs  to  the  Indian  Archipelago," 
replied  the  Captain. 

"  It  has  a  very  remarkable  outline,"  observed  Professor 
Singleton. 

"  True,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  and  after  a  glance  at 
it,  you  don't  wonder  it  has  2,600  miles  of  sea-coast." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Eugene;  "2,600  miles?  How 
large  is  the  island,  pray  ? " 

"  The  Dutch  say  about  twice  the  size  of  Ireland ;  but  I 
am  inclined  to  think,  with  Wallace,  that  they  make  it  out 
larger  than  it  really  is." 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  " 

"It  is  estimated  all  the  way  from  one  to  three  millions." 

"  There  is  no  want  of  birds,  beasts,  and  reptiles  on  the 
island,"  remarked  Mr.  Morgan. 

"  You  are  quite  right,  Jasper ;  and  some  of  them  are 
interesting  specimens,  as,  for  instance,  the  sapi-utan  or 
wild  cow  of  the  Malays,  a  black,  baboon-like  motikey,  the 
Malay  civet,  an  ox-like  antelope,  and  the  python." 

"  They  must  have  magnificent  forests,"  said  Mr.  Davis, 
musingly. 

"The  uncultivated  portions  of  Celebes  are  covered 
with  forests,  abounding  in  the  luxurious  vegetation  of  an 
equatorial  climate.  Besides  tree-ferns,  pandani,  the  wild 
jack-fruit,  and  hundreds  of  others,  there  arc  a  dozen  or 
more  varieties  of  the  palm,  including  the  cocoanut,  the 
betelnut,  the  sago,  and  the  sugar  palm.  There  are  more 
fruits  than  I  can  begin  to  name,  including  bananas, 
breadfruits,  pineapples,  and  durians." 

"  They  raise  vast  quantities  of  rice  and  coffee,"  ob- 
served Mr.  Morgan. 

"Yes,"  assented  Captain  Gregory;   "rice  and  coffee 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS. 


561 


are  the  most  important  agricultural  productions.     Cacao, 
cotton,  maize,  and  tobacco  arc  also  raised." 


"Do  you  know  the  amount  of  coffee  the  island  pro- 
duces ? "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 


562  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

"  The  annual  yield  of  the  Dutch  Government  coffee 
plantations  on  the  tablelands  of  Minahasa  is  about 
5,000,000  pounds.  The  coffee  raised  here  is  superior 
to  any  from  Java,  and  commands  a  higher  price." 

"  Gold  is  found  on  the  island,  I  have  been  informed," 
said  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  gold  is  found  in 
considerable  quantities,  and  not  only  throughout  the 
whole  northern  peninsula,  but  also  near  the  southern 
extremity." 

"  The  natives  have  kings  of  their  own,  I  have  seen  it 
stated,"  observed  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  Captain ;  "  but  these  kings  are 
dependent  upon  the  Dutch  government." 

"  They  are  all  Malays,  I  suppose  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  all  belong  to  the  Malay  race.  The  Bughis 
constitute  the  most  numerous  and  active  portion  of  the 
population.  They  are  sailors  and  traders.  The  sailors 
are  wild  and  ferocious  in  appearance,  but  really  of  quiet 
and  peaceable  disposition.  The  natives  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  island,  while  they  are  known  to  be 
Malays,  have  been  classed  as  savage,  though  of  late  they 
have  made  some  advancement.  They  are  short  in  stature, 
of  light-brown  complexion,  with  high,  projecting  cheek- 
bones, and  have  long,  straight,  black  hair.  Until  quite 
recently,  they  devoted  much  of  their  time  to  head- 
hunting, like  the  Dyaks  of  Borneo,  and  they  are  said  to 
be  as  fierce  in  battle  as  the  Manyucmas,  whose  very 
women  fight  in  the  ranks  with  their  husbands ;  still  they 
make  good  servants,  and  are  not  slow  to  adopt  the 
manners  and  habits  of  civilized  life.  The  Mandhars, 
of  whom  I  can  tell  you  very  little,  dwell  in  the  most 
western  part  of  the  island,  north  of  Macassar." 

"  Celebes  can  boast  of  several  quite  important  seaports, 
I  believe?"  said  Air.  Davis,  in  an  inquiring  tone. 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS. 


565 


"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain ;  u  and  the  most  impor-. 
tant  are  Menado,  Kema,  and  Majcassar  or  Vlaardingcn, 
all  of  which  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  with  China 
and  other  parts  of  the  world." 

"  Of  course,"  observed  Eugene,  "  the  natives  do  not 
call  the  island  Celebes." 

"  No,"  returned  the  Captain ;  "  the  name  is  hardly 
known  to  them.  They  call  it  Negri  Bughis,  or  Bughis 
Land." 


MANYUEMA    WARRIORS. 

"  As  we  have  so  far  touched  upon  the  Malay  or  Indian 
Archipelago  proper,  as  to  speak  of  Celebes  and  Tamor," 
said  Chester,  "  I  wish,  Captain,  you  would  give  us  some 
information  about  the  other  islands,  particularly  those 
which  were  formerly  designated  as  the  Sundas." 

"  I  could  n't  begin  to  give  you  an  account  of  each  one," 
23* 


566 


MOLUCCA   ISLADDS. 


replied  the  Captain ;  "  they  are  very  numerous,  and  all 
are  interesting." 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  567 

"  Well,  tell  us  about  some  of  them,  then,"  urged 
Eugene. 

"  Between  Timor  and  Java,"  said  the  Captain,  acqui- 
escing, "  there  are  several  rich  and  exceedingly  beautiful 
islands,  the  most  important  of  which  are  Sumba,  Flores, 
Sumdawa,  Lomblen,  Lombok,  and  Baly.  They  are  all 
under  the  control  of  the  Dutch,  unless  Flores  be 
excepted,  and  are  inhabited  by  the  Malay  race,  who 
greatly  resemble  the  people  of  Celebes.  They  usually 
live  in  villages,  on  or  near  the  coast,  the  streets  of  which, 
during  the  day,  present  a  succession  of  animated  and 
curious  scenes." 

"  You  mentioned  Java,"  said  Chester.  "  I  suppose 
that  island  is  really  the  most  important  colonial  posses- 
sion of  the  Dutch  in  the  East  Indies." 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain,  emphatically ;  "  and  it  is 
the  most  fertile  and  prosperous  tropical  island  in  the 
world." 

"  How  large  is  it  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  is  666  miles  long,  by  a  breadth  varying  from  56  to 
135  £  miles,  and  including  the  island  of  Madura,  contains 
51,336  square  miles." 

"  It  is  densely  populated,"  remarked  Professor  Gregory. 

"  Java  is  one  of  the  most  densely  peopled  countries  of 
the  world,"  affirmed  the  Captain.  "  Its  population 
exceeds  18,000,000,  of  which  more  than  30,000  are 
Europeans." 

"  It  must  indeed  be  a  wonderful  soil  to  support  so 
many,"  exclaimed  Professor  Singleton. 

"The  soil  of  Java  is  very  deep  and  rich,"  said  the 
Captain;  "and  as  I  have  already  said,  the  whole  island 
is  far  above  the  general  average  of  fertility.  A  lofty 
range  of  mountains  thickly  set  with  volcanoes,  varying 
from  a  height  of  5,000  to  an  altitude  of  12,000  feet, 
intersects  the  en^re  length  of  the  island ;  while  numer- 


568 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS. 


ous  ranges  of  inferior  elevation,  and  short,  hilly  chains, 
traverse  the  country  in  all  directions.     Many  of  these 


mountain-ranges,   however,   possess    broad    plains    and 
fertile  valleys.     There  are  several  small  and  beautiful 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS.  569 

lakes  among  the  mountains,  and  some  extensive  marshes, 
which  in  the  rainy  season  become  lakes  and  are  navi- 
gated. The  rivers  are  very  numerous,  but  generally 
running  from  the  central  range  to  the  ocean  on  either 
shore,  are  short  and  of  little  importance." 

"Is  the  island  as  well  supplied  with  timber  as 
Celebes?"  asked  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Java,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  contains  several  dense 
forests,  which,  at  certain  points  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
rivers,  extend  into  swampy  lands,  and  remind  one  very 
much  of  the  forests  on  the  Amazon." 

"The  country  is  subject  to  earthquakes,  is  it  not?" 
asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  as  the  mountains  are  nearly  all  of  a  volcanic 
origin,  earthquakes  and  thunder-storms  are  frequent,  and 
the  former  often  fearfully  destructive." 

"  What  are  some  of  the  products  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

" It's  well  you  put  the  question  in  that  form,"  laughed 
Captain  Watson,  "  for  their  name  is  legion.  Among 
them  are  rice,  maize,  millet,  wheat,  sugar,  coffee,  tea, 
cotton,  tobacco,  cinnamon,  ginger,  pepper,  cardainons, 
betel,  cocoanut,  areca-palm,  indigo,  cochineal,  a  great 
variety  of  dye-stuffs,  and  nearly  all  forms  of  tropical 
fruits  and  esculent  plants." 

"  But  few  minerals  are  obtained,  I  think,"  observed 
Mr.  Davis. 

"  You  are  right,"  assented  the  Captain  ;  "  still,  a  large 
supply  of  iron,  sulphur,  salt,  and  saltpeter  are  procured." 

"  I  see  they  export  a  large  quantity  of  oil,"  said 
Chester. 

"  Yes ;  many  of  the  trees  yield  a  copious  supply." 

"  And  they  are  well  furnished  with  domestic  animals," 
remarked  Eugene. 

"  Very  true ;  black  cattle,  goats,  buffaloes,  and  horses 
are  numerous,  and  of  their  several  breeds,  excellent. 


570  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

Then,  too,  the  seas  and  rivers  yield  abundance  of  fish, 
and  domestic  fowls  are  reared  in  great  numbers." 

"  With  such  natural  resources,  and  almost  unbounded 
means  of  commerce  and  subsistence,"  remarked  Professor 
Gregory,  "  it  is  a  subject  of  little  wonder  to  me  that  the 
Dutch  should  early  have  seen  the  advantages  of  the 
island,  and  have  made  themselves  masters  of  a  spot  so 
prolific  and  rich  in  all  the  items  of  comfort,  luxury,  and 
trade." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain ;  "  and  having  made  them- 
selves masters  of  it,  they  at  once  proceeded  to.  make  the 
most  of  it ;  hence  Java  soon  became,  and  has  to  the 
present  day  continued,  the  great  center  of  the  Dutch 
East  India  trade." 

"  I  have  heard  much  said  against  the  climate,  in  the 
past,"  observed  Mr.  Davis ;  "  but  I  am  inclined  to  think 
it  is  not  so  very  bad  after  all." 

"  At  the  height  of  some  4,000  feet  in  the  mountain 
valleys,"  returned  the  Captain,  "there  is  a  delightful 
climate,  healthful  to  the  European  constitution,  and 
favorable  to  the  growth  of  northern  fruits  and  vegetables. 
The  general  climate  of  the  island  is  better  than  that  of 
most  tropical  countries ;  and  in  places  where  malaria 
formerly  prevailed,  as  in  Batavia,  the  evil  has  been 
clearly  traced  to  the  neglect  of  water-courses,  and  has 
been  remedied." 

"  I  suppose  the  chief  variety  in  the  vegetation  is  caused 
by  difference  of  elevation,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  for  instance,  on  the  low  coast  are  found  cocoa- 
nut-palms  and  bananas.  Higher  up  are  ferns  and  mag- 
nificent forests.  At  a  greater  height  are  forests  of  fig 
trees.  Above  these  are  oaks  and  laurels,  and  at  a  height 
of  6,000  feet  the  tropical  character  of  the  vegetation 
disappears,  and  is  succeeded  by  heaths,  conifers,  and  a 
vegetation  closely  allied  to  that  of  the  temperate  zone," 


HOUSE   AT   BATAVIA. 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS.  £73 

"  Do  the  Dutch  have  full  possession  of  the  island  ? " 
asked  Eugene. 

"  In  one  sense  they  do  not,"  was  the  answer ;  "  for 
two  native  princes,  the  susuhunam  or  emperor,  and  the 
sultan,  rule  over  small  portions.  But  these,  though 
nominally  independent  sovereigns,  are  in  reality  merely 
tributaries  to  the  Dutch. 

"  The  Dutch  settlements,"  the  Captain  continued,  "  are 
divided  into  seventeen  provinces,  the  most  important  of 
which  are  situated  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  island, 
to  all  of  which  Batavia  is  the  capital." 

"  Ah !  that,  I  suppose,  is  quite  a  fine  city,  as  well  as 
an  important  one,"  suggested  Mr.  Davis. 

"  Well,"  rejoined  the  Captain,  "  its  roadstead,  which 
lies  between  the  mainland  and  some  small,  uninhabited 
islands,  affords  both  good  anchorage  and  shelter ;  and, 
though  vessels  of  any  considerable  size  seldom  anchor 
nearer  shore  than  about  one  and  a  half  miles  distance,  a 
river,  which  runs  through  the  town,  admits  of  small  craft 
of  from  twenty  to  forty  tons  running  a  couple  of  miles  or 
so  inland.  Batavia,  as  has  been  intimated,  used  to  be 
notorious  for  its  insalubrity  ;  but  the  new  town,  buil.t  on 
high  ground  above  the  swampy  level  of  the  old,  in  a 
large  measure  remedied  the  evil  so  far  as  the  govern- 
ment officials  and  wealthy  merchants  were  concerned ; 
while  latterly,  owing  to  the  intelligent  exertions  of  the 
Baron  Capellen,  who  caused  some  of  the  canals  which 
permeated  the  town,  Dutch  fashion,  to  be  filled  up,  others 
to  be  cleansed,  streets  to  be  widened,  and  other  sanitary 
measures  adopted,  the  old  part  has  been  rendered  as 
healthy  as  any  town  on  the  island.  Nevertheless,  the 
wealthy  classes  continue  to  live  in  the  new  town,  where 
there  are  many  delightful  residences,  while  the  old  is 
inhabited  by  Chinese  emigrants  and  descendants  of  the 
original  colonists.  The  population,  exclusive  of  the  gar- 


574  MOLUCCA    ISLANDS. 

rison,  which  is  generally  large,  may  be  estimated  at  more 
than  150,000,  of  which  number  about  4,000,  probably,  are 
Europeans,  35,000  Chinese,  1,200  Arabs,  11,000  Papuans, 
and  the  remainder  natives.  The  total  value  of  the 
annual  exports  are  about  $29,000,000,  and  of  the  imports 
not  far  from  $23,000,000." 

"  You  have  told  us  about  the  domestic  animals  of 
Java,"  said  Eugene,  presently,  "  but  I  don't  think  you 
have  said  anything  about  the  wild  game." 

"  The  fact  is,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  game  does  not 
abound  here  so  much  as  in  other  countries,  though  hares 
and  rabbits  arc  pretty  common,  and  deer  and  antelopes 
are  also  plentiful.  Wild  hogs  and  monkeys  are  found  in 
the  jungles,  and  the  forests  abound  with  tigers  as  power- 
ful and  large  as  in  Bengal." 

"  Tigers  ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  that 's  the  kind  of 
game  for  me." 

"  Well,  you'll  find  plenty  of  them  on  the  island.  And 
there  is  a  species  of  black  tiger  which  is  very  ferocious." 

"  Anything  else  ? " 

"  Yes ;  the  rhinoceros  is  sometimes  met  with,  and  I 
mustn't  forget  to  speak  of  the  white  eagle,  which  is  often 
seen  here." 

"The  Dutch  did  not  discover  Java?"  said  Eugene, 
inquiringly. 

"  No ;  the  island  was  discovered  and  settled  on  by  the 
Portuguese  in  1511 ;  sixty  years  later,  the  Dutch  made  a 
lodgment  at  Bantam,  and  in  1602  the  English  erected 
their  first  East  Indian  factory  at  the  same  place.  The 
Dutch,  however,  soon  expelled  both,  and,  gradually 
increasing  their  sway,  have  from  that  time  remained  the 
almost  exclusive  masters  of  this  splendid  island." 

"  Now  let  us  hear  something  about  the  natives,"  said 
Chester. 

"  The  natives,"  returned  the  Captain,  are  superior  in 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  575 

civilization  and  mechanical  skill  to  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Indian  Archipelago,  some  of  their  silk  and  cotton 
fabrics  showing  an  unapproachable  excellence ;  they  are 
also  admirable  shipwrights,  and  generally  make  superior 
mechanics." 

"  They  must  be  the  descendants  of  the  builders  of  the 
wonderful  temples  whose  ruins  are  scattered  over  the 
island,"  suggested  Professor  Singleton. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  that,"  rejoined  the  Captain ; 
"  and  the  ruins  you  refer  to  are  indeed  wonderful.  In 
number  and  beauty  they  are  unsurpassed  by  the  archi- 
tectural remains  of  any  country  in  the  world.  The  most 
extensive  and  interesting  of  these  structures  are  at  Bram- 
banani,  Borobodo,  and  Gunong  Prau.  At  Brambanam 
are.  the  '  thousand  temples,'  and  it  is  of  the  celebrated 
temple  of  Borobodo  that  Wallace  says  that  the  amount 
of  human  labor  and  skill  expended  on  the  great  pyramids 
of  Egypt  sinks  into  insignificance  when  compared  with 
that  required  to  complete  this  sculptured  hill  temple  in 
the  interior  of  Java." 

"  You  have  n't  said  one  word  about  the  wonderful  bats 
of  Java,"  insinuated  Jasper  Morgan. 

"  True,"  returned  the  Captain ;  "  and  nowhere  does 
the  bat  attain  to  such  immense  dimensions  as  on  this 
island,  where  it  frequently  measures  five  feet  across  the 
wings,  and  may  be  seen  hanging  in  hundreds,  extended 
from  branches  of  trees,  like  rows  of  hides  hung  out  to 
dry  along  the  skirts  of  the  forest. 

"  Up  to  the  time  of  the  Arab  invasion  in  the  fifteenth 
century,"  continued  Captain  Watson,  in  a  thoughtful 
tone,  "  Java  appears  to  have  been  a  great  and  flourishing 
state,  as  the  splendid  Hindoo  temples  to  Brahma  and 
Buddha,  of  which  we  have,  just  spoken,  sufficiently  tes- 
tify ;  but,  through  the  destruction  of  its  magnificent 
capital  by  the  conquerors,  the  island  was  given  over  to 


576  MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 

a  number  of  petty  chiefs,  who  tyrannized  over  the  con- 
quered inhabitants,  and  converted  the  lately  orderly  and 
prosperous  country  into  a  scene  of  rapine  and  discord. 
In  this  state  the  Europeans  found  it,  when,  having  dis- 
covered  the  new  route,  the  East  became  no  longer  a 
mystery  to  the  exploring  spirit  of  the  West ;  and  — 

"  Beg  pardon,  Captain,"  suddenly  interrupted  the  mas- 
ter of  the  Albatross,  who  a  moment  before  had  started  to 
his  feet ;  "  but  can  anyone  tell  me  anything  about  that 
steam-yacht  yonder  ?  I  ask  because  I  saw  a  party  put 
off  to  her  a  while  ago,  of  which  I  think  Daniel  Kirby  was 
one ;  and  now,  you  see,  she  is  getting  under  way." 

By  this  time  all  were  on  their  feet,  gazing  at  the 
yacht ;  and  Mr.  Davis  said  : 

"  That  is  the  Unrest,  young  Lord  Clairmont's  yacht ; 
he  has  been  cruising  among  these  islands  for  six  months 
or  more.  He  is  a  strange  sort  of  fellow,  and  I  heard 
only  the  other  day  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  sell 
his  yacht  and  settle  on  Tutuila,  where  he  has  bought 

immense  tracts  of  land." 

i 

"  Sell  his  yacht,  ch  ?  Hum  ! "  and  turning  abruptly, 
Captain  Bradford  cast  a  glance  at  the  Rover. 

To  all  appearances  there  was  not  a  single  soul  on 
board  the  schooner. 

"  Deserted  ! "  he  muttered.  "  That 's  strange,"  and 
then  a  thought  struck  him. 

"  Morris,  you  have  seen  Lord  Clairmont  ? " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Davis  ;  "  many  times." 

"  What  sort  of  a  looking  man  is  he  ? " 

Mr.  Davis  described  his  lordship. 

"That's  the  man  Tom  Gray  son  saw  with  the  British 
consul  and  Daniel  Kirby ;  they  entered  the  consulate 
together." 

"  And  what  do  you  infer  from  that  ? "  asked  Eugene, 
eagerly. 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS.  577 

"  What  can  I  infer  but  that  the  Unrest  is  now  the 
property  of  Lyman  Pierpont,  o*  George  Thompson,  as  he 
calls  himself  ?  Look  at  the  deserted  Rover  lying  there, 
and  then  at  the  yacht  steaming  away  with  Kirby,  and  no 
doubt  the  schooner's  crew  on  board,  and  remember  that 
the  sloop  has  not  yet  returned,  though  she  is  certainly 
over-due." 

"That's  it!  You've  hit  it,  Captain.  Uncle  Lyman 
has  given  us  the  slip  again,  and  now  is  off,  perhaps  to 
the  other  side  of  the  Pacific,  in  a  steamer  as  swift,  no 
doubt,  as  our  own." 

"  What  had  we  better  do  ?  "  asked  Professor  Singleton, 
nervously. 

"  Go  ashore  at  once,  and  learn  all  we  can  from  the 
British  consul." 

"And  that  will  be  precious  little,  I'm  thinking," 
muttered  Eugene. 

"  Leave  it  to  me,"  said  Mr.  Davis,  confidently.  "  I 
know  a  way  to  manage  our  English  friend ;  and  whatever 
the  facts  in  the  case  may  be,  within  an  hour  you  shall  be 
in  possession  of  them.  Better  all  go  to  my  house,  and 
wait  for  me  there." 

This  course  was  decided  upon ;  and  the  whole  party 
proceeded  to  the  shore,  Mr.  Davis  leaving  them  at  the 
landing. 

An  hour  later  he  joined  them  at  his  residence,  and  after 
some  hesitation,  informed  them  that  Captain  Bradford's 
suspicions  were  correct.  Daniel  Kirby  had  bought  the  Un- 
rest for  "  George  Thompson,"  and  sold  the  Rover  to  God- 
defray  &  Co.,  the  great  Hamburg  and  Samoa  merchants. 
The  yacht  had  gone  to  Pago-Pago,  to  take  her  new  owner 
aboard,  and  Lord  Clairmont  had  taken  passage  in  her. 

"  We  must  start  for  Pago-Pago  at  once,"  exclaimed 
Captain  Bradford,  in  a  decided  tone. 

"  They  '11  be  away  before  you  can  get  there,"  reasoned 
his  friend. 


578 


MOLUCCA    ISLANDS. 


"  I  fear  you  are  right.  Where  are  they  bound,  then  — 
did  you  learn  ?  "  * 

"  To  the  Tonga  and  Fiji  Islands." 

"  You  are  sure  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure." 

"  Then  we  must  be  off." 

"Yes;  your  best  course  will  be  to  go  directly  to  Tonga, 
and  if  you  should  miss  him  there,  try  Vavao  before  you 
go  to  the  Fiji  group." 

"  We  will  do  so."  And  after  once  more  partaking  of 
Mrs.  Davis's  hospitality,  the  whole  party  proceeded  to 
the  landing,  where  the  last  farewells  were  spoken,  when 
those  belonging  to  the  Albatross,  a  little  sad  and  dis- 
pirited, were  pulled  aboard. 


SHAHK-TOOTH    GAUNTLET. 

While  the  anchors  were  being  raised,  the  Professor 
and  the  two  brothers  stood  on  the  quarter-deck,  gazing 
toward  the  shore,  where  their  friends  still  lingered. 

"  I  had  hoped  to  see  more  of  these  beautiful  islands," 
said  Eugene,  presently  ;  "  and  we  must  surely  return  to 
them  at  no  distant  day.  I  want,  tooj  to  see  and  learn 
more  of  their  wonderful  mats  and  ancient  weapons.  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  their  shark's-tooth  gauntlets,  Professor  ?" 

"  1  don't  know  that  I  have,"  was  the  reply. 


MOLUCCA   ISLANDS. 


579 


"  The  mode  of  fighting  with  them  was  this,"  said 
Eugene  ;  "  the  teeth  were  fixed  in  three  rows  on  the 
palm  and  fingers  of  a  species  of  glove  or  gauntlet  made 
of  the  plaited  bark  of  the  hedbo,  and  both  hands  being 
armed  in  this  manner,  every  man  endeavored  to  come  to 
close  quarters  with  his  antagonist,  and  to  tear  open  his 
bowels  with  these  horrible  weapons.  Fearful,  wasn't  it?" 

"  Fearful,  indeed  !  " 

"  Look  !  look ! "  exclaimed  Chester,  suddenly  ;  "  it 's 
our  last  chance  to  wave  our  friends  a  farewell.  Quick  ! 
They  see  us." 

"  Yes,"  cried  Eugene,  as  he  waved  his  handkerchief 
toward  the  shore,  "  farewell  to  Samoa !  " 


IDOL. 


CHAPTER  XXYIH. 

TONGA  — FIJI  ISLANDS. 

ON  leaving  the  harbor  of  Apia,  the  course  of  the 
Albatross  was  laid  for  the  island  of  Tonga,  the 
most  important  in  the  three  clusters  which  make  up 
the  group  known  as  the  Tonga  or  Friendly  Islands. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  day,  the  three  passengers, 
and,  indeed,  the  Captain  and  his  mates,  were  quite  dull 
and  dispirited.  Their  repeated  disappointments  were 
beginning  to  tell  upon  them.  But  the  next  morning 
they  were  all  a  little  more  cheerful,  and  Eugene,  seeing 
that  they  must  visit  another  group  of  islands,  resolved  to 
know  as  much  as  possible  about  them ;  so,  after  they  had 
finished  their  breakfast,  and  had  once  more  gathered  on 
the  quarter-deck,  he  turned  to  Professor  Singleton,  who, 
thanks  to  his  brother  professor  and  Captain  Watson,  had 
had  quite  a  rest  of  late,  and  asked  : 

"  Who  discovered  the  Tonga  Islands,  Professor  ?  " 

"  They  were  discovered  by  the  Dutch  navigator,  Abel 
Tasman,  in  1043,  and  were  visited  and  described  in  1773 
and  1777  by  Captain  Cook,  who  gave  them  the  name  of 
Friendly  from  the  apparently  hospitable  reception  he  met 
with  from  the  inhabitants,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Ah !  but  that  was  a  great  mistake  on  the  part  of 
Cook,"  exclaimed  Chester.  "  Mariner,  who  afterwards 
spent  some  years  on  the  islands,  says  they  were  only 
deterred  by  fear  from  attacking  the  great  discoverer  and 
seizing  his  ships,  as  they  did  the  Port  au  Prince  a  little 
later." 

"  Quite  true,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  and  in  point 

(580) 


TONGA.  581 

of  fact  the  character  of  the  natives  is  not  a  whit  better 
than  that  of  the  other  Polynesians." 

"  The  group  is  quite  a  large  one,  is  it  not  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  It  consists  of  about  thirty-two  greater  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  smaller  islands,  about  thirty  of  which  are 
inhabited,"  was  the  answer. 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Morgan. 

"Including  whites  and  Fiji  Islanders,  not  far  from 
45,000,  or  possibly  50,000." 

"The  islands  are  of  coral  formation,  if  I  remember 
rightly,"  said  Chester. 

"  They  are  mostly  of  coral,"  explained  the  Professor, 
"  and  are  surrounded  by  dangerous  coral  reefs.  A  few, 
however,  are  of  volcanic  origin,  and  in  Tofooa  there  is  a 
small  but  active  volcano." 

"  Chester  tells  me  the  group  is  divided  into  three 
clusters,"  observed  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  there  are  three  distinct  clusters,"  assented  the 
Professor,  "  namely :  the  Tonga  at  the  south,  the  Hapai 
in  the  center,  and  the  Vavao  at  the  north  or  northwest." 

"  Mariner  says  the  climate  is  very  agreeable,"  remarked 
Chester. 

"  It  is  healthy,  but  humid ;  much  rain  falls,  and  —  a 
very  important  matter — none  of  the  islands  are  destitute 
of  fresh  water." 

"I  judge  the  natives  are  inclined  to  be  industrious, 
from  what  I  have  seen  of  them,"  said  Captain  Bradford. 

"  There  can  be  little  doubt  of  that,"  returned  the 
Professor.  "  The  better  class  own  extensive  plantations, 
which  they  keep  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  all 
the  natives  raise  bananas,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  bread- 
fruit, sugar-cane,  shaddock,  limes,  cocoanuts,  and  the-  ti. 
The  pandanus,  of  which  they  make  their  mats,  is  one  of 
their  most  valued  trees,  and  is  well  cared  for ;  a  little 


582 


TONGA. 


corn  is  grown,  and  they  have  the  papaw  apple  and  even 
the  watermelon." 


"  You  forget  the  sweet  orange,  which  has  been  success- 
fully introduced  by  the  missionaries  from  Tahiti,"  sug 
gested  the  Captain. 


TONGA.  583 

"  True ;  but  many  other  imported  fruits  and  vegetable 
seeds  have  failed." 

"  The  flora  very  much  resembles  that  of  the  Fiji  group, 
does  it  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  It  is  almost  the  same." 

"  Are  there  any  native  animals  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  hog,  dog,  and  rat  are  the  only  native  quadru- 
peds," was  the  reply. 

"  Why  do  some  writers  call  the  island  to  which  we  are 
bound  Tongataboo  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"Because  they  know  no  better,  I  strongly  suspect," 
said  the  Captain.  "  For  there 's  just  as  much  sense  and 
propriety  in  calling  our  country  Freeamerica,  or  England 
Merryengland,  as  to  call  that  island  Tongataboo.  The 
fact  is,  years  ago  it  exercised  a  sort  of  religious  suprem- 
acy over  the  other  islands,  and  was  often  spoken  of  as 
the  Sacred  (taboo)  Isle,  or  Tonga  the  sacred  (Tonga- 
taboo)  ;  but  the  adjective  was  never  any  part  of  the 
name." 

"  That 's  about  what  Mariner  says,"  observed  Chester. 

"  Is  it  ?  "  laughed  the  Captain.  "  Well,  I  'm  glad  to  be 
supported  by  such  good  authority." 

"  How  large  is  the  island  of  Tonga  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  is  about  twenty  miles  long  and  a  little  more  than 
twelve  broad ;  it  is  low  and  level,  of  coral  formation,  and 
rises  nowhere  more  than  sixty  odd  feet  above  the  sea." 

"  It  was  on  this  island,  at  the  port  of  Bea,  that  Captain 
Croker,  of  the  British  sloop-of-war  Favorite,  was  defeated 
in  1840  by  the  pagan  natives,"  observed  Chester. 

"Yes,"  assented  the  Professor;  "and  in  the  engage- 
ment, which  was  undertaken  in  behalf  of  the  Christian 
missionaries  and  their  native  partisans,  Croker  and  many 
of  his  officers  and  men  were  slain." 

"  Do  the  islands  have  a  large  trade  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  not,"  answered  the  Professor. 
34 


584 


TONGA. 


"  The  only  important  article  of  export  that  I  am  aware 
of,"  said  the  Captain,  "  is  cocoanut-oil." 
"Have  they  any  good  harbors?" 


DAUGIITEII   OF    A    CHIEF. 


"  Port  Refuge  in  Vavao  is  the  best,  and  is  much 
frequented  by  American  and  Uritish  vessels,  especially 
whalers." 


TONGA.  585 

"  I  judge  from  our  several  conversations,"  said  Eugene, 
"  that  the  Tongese  contrast  favorably  with  their  neigh- 
bors, the  Fijians,  both  in  appearance  and  disposition." 

"  They  are  a  different  people  altogether,"  asserted  the 
Professor;  "the  Fijians  belonging  to  the  Papuan  race, 
whereas  the  Tongese  or  Tongans  belong  to  the  brown 
Polynesian  race,  which  does  not  possess  the  very  crisp 
hair  and  rough  skin  of  the  Papuans ;  and,  as  a  rule,  is 
much  lighter  in  skin,  the  complexions  being  often,  as  we 
know,  as  white  as  that  of  many  Europeans.  They  are, 
on  the  whole,  a  singularly  handsome  people,  the  beauty 
not  being  limited  to  the  men,  as  is  the  case  in  so  many 
groups,  but  possessed  equally,  if  not  to  a  superior  degree, 
by  the  women." 

u  That  is  true,"  agreed  the  Captain.  "  I  remember  in 
particular  the  daughter  of  a  Tongan  chief,  who,  not- 
withstanding her  slightly  tinted  skin,  would  be  called 
beautiful  anywhere." 

"  They  must  take  good  care  of  their  women,  then," 
said  Eugene. 

"  They  do,  indeed,"  returned  the  Captain,  "  and  treat 
them  with  every  consideration.  The  consequence  of 
which  is,  the  women  possess  a  gentle  freedom  of  de- 
meanor and  grace  of  form  which  are  never  found  among 
those  people  where  women  are  merely  the  drudges  of  the 
men.  Even  so  long  ago  as  1777,  Captain  Cook  noticed 
that  the  women  of  this  group  were  much  more  delicately 
formed  than  the  men,  that  they  were  beautifully  propor- 
tioned, and  that  the  hands  were  so  small  and  soft  that 
they  would  compare  favorably  with  the  finest  examples 
in  Europe  and  America.  Hard  and  constant  labor,  such 
as  is  usually  the  lot  of  savage  women,  deteriorates  the 
form  greatly,  and  the  Tongans  seem  to  have  found  out 
the  fact  ages  ago.  Their  women  certainly  do  work,  but 
they  are  not  condemned  to  do  it  all,  the  men  taking  the 


586  TONGA. 

hard  labor  on  themselves,  and  leaving  the  women  the 
lighter  tasks,  such  as  beating  guatoo,  plaiting  baskets, 
making  dishes,  and  the  like.  At  the  great  dances,  the 
women  are  not  only  allowed  to  be  present,  but  assist 
in  them,  taking  as  important  a  share  as  the  men,  and 
infusing  into  the  dance  a  really  cultivated  grace  which 
would  not  exist  without  them." 

"  Are  the  women  usually  lighter  in  complexion  than 
the  men  ? " 

"  The  better  class  of  women  are ;  and  for  the  reason 
that  they  take  more  care  of  themselves  than  the  men. 
Though  all  classes  live  for  the  most  part  in  the  open  air, 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  powerful  and  wealthy  men 
are  careful  not  to  expose  themselves  to  the  sun  more 
than  is  absolutely  necessary,  so  that  many  of  them, 
instead  of  being  brown,  are  of  a  clear  olive  tint,  the 
effect  of  which  is  singularly  beautiful  when  contrasted 
with  their  dark,  clustering  hair,  their  guatoo  garments, 
and  the  leaves  and  flowers  with  which  they  adorn  them- 
selves, changing  them  several  times  daily." 

"  Are  their  houses  well  constructed  ? "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  they  are  exceedingly  well  constructed,  and  are 
divided  into  two  and  sometimes  three  compartments  by 
cocoanut-leavcs.  The  inmates  sit  on  the  carefully  swept 
floor,  with  a  roll  of  narrow  matting  surrounding  them, 
and  there  arc  few  other  articles  of  furniture  excepting 
the  four-legged  wooden  pillow.  Within  doors  the  chil- 
dren neveo*  wear  any  clothing  until  they  are  two  years 
old ;  but  when  they  go  out,  their  parents  always  wrap 
around  them  a  piece  of  guatoo  or  tappa.  The  natives 
are  exceedingly  fastidious  about  their  dress,  criticising 
every  fold  with  minute  care,  and  spending  considerable 
time  in  arranging  them.  Even  when  bathing,  they 
always  array  themselves  in  a  slight  dress  made  for  such 
occasions,  going  aside  for  the  purpose  of  exchanging  the 


TONGA. 


587 


usual  guatoo  for  an  apron  of  leaves  or  matting.  So 
disrespectful  is  utter  nudity  considered  among  the  Ton- 
gans,  that  if  a  man  is  obliged  to  undress  near  the  spot 


where  a  chief  is  buried,  the  leaf  apron  is  worn  while  the 
dress  is  changed." 

"  The  islands  are  all  under  one  government,  are  they 
not  ? "  asked  Mr.  Morgan. 


588  TONGA. 

"  At  the  present  time  they  are,"  replied  the  Professor ; 
"  formerly,  however,  they  were  governed  by  several  inde- 
pendent chiefs.  The  northern  and  middle  groups  first 
united  and  formed  the  State  of  Yavao,  under  King 
George,  of  whom,  of  course,  you  have  all  heard ;  and 
some  years  later  he  became  the  ruler  of  all  the  islands." 

"  In  Mariner's  time,  when  the  first  Finow  was  king," 
observed  Chester,  "  the  natives  were  devoted  to  war.  I 
suppose  that  is  no  longer  true  ?" 

"  It  is  not,"  returned  the  Professor.  "  At  the  time  you 
speak  of,  the  natives  were  pagans ;  they  offered  human 
sacrifices,  and  cut  off  their  little  fingers  and  toes  as 
propitiatory  offerings  to  their  gods ;  and  the  women 
went  nearly  naked.  No  wonder  they  knew  no  better 
than  to  love  war." 

"  Their  mythology  was  like  that  of  the  other  Polyne- 
sians —  a  low  typ .'  or  Polytheism,  was  it  not  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  in  that  respect  they  were  much  like  their 
neighbors.  The  spirits  of  all  chiefs,  they  said,  went  to 
Bolotoo  or  Bulotu,  which  was  a  beautiful  island  not  far 
distant,  but  just  where  they  did  not  know.  The  souls  of 
poor  people  remained  in  this  world,  to  feed  upon  ants 
and  lizards." 

"The  people  are  now  nearly  all  Christian,  are  they 
not?"  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes ;  the  missionaries  have  done  a  g(5od  work  in  the 
islands,  and  they  are  no  longer  what  they  were  a  little 
more  than  half  a  century  ago.  Indeed,  the  Tongans  are 
well  advanced.  They  have  printing  presses  and  schools. 
Most  of  the  women  can  sew,  and  nearly  every  one  can 
read  and  write  both  in  their  native  tongue  and  English. 
Why,  King  George  himself,  who  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, used  to  teach  and  preach  almost  every  day." 

"  I  saw  it  stated,  seme  tUiie  since,"  remarked  the  Cap- 


TONGA.  589 

tain,  "  that  the  Catholics  had  obtained  a  pretty  firm  hold 
in  the  southern  cluster." 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Professor ;  "  a  number  of  Catholic 
missionaries  came  to  the  islands  from  France,  and  firmly 
established  themselves  in  the  Tongan  cluster,  where  a 
large  portion  of  the  natives  have  joined  the  Catholic 
Church." 

At  this  moment,  with  a  hurried  apology,  Jasper  Mor- 
gan called  the  Captain's  attention  to  a  black  cloud  which 
was  just  making  its  appearance  on  the  southern  horizon. 

The  Captain  started  to  his  feet,  and  after  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  southern  sky,  exclaimed : 

"  We  are  going  to  have  a  storm,  and  if  I  am  not 
greatly  mistaken,  it  will  be  a  serious  one." 

The  Captain  was  right.  The  storm  came  up  with 
fearful  rapidity,  and  being  dead  ahead,  the  yacht  could 
make  little  progress,  and  was  tumbled  and  tossed  about 
on  the  angry  waves  in  a  most  disagreeable  manner. 

Of  course  there  was  no  further  chance  for  conversation. 
The  unhappy  passengers  had  all  they  could  do  to  keep 
from  being  thrown  about  the  cabin,  whither  they  had 
retreated,  and  sat  holding  on  to  the  table,  or  clinging  to 
the  sides  of  the  stationary  sofas,  in  silent  misery. 

For  two  days  the  storm  continued  to  rage,  and  then 
subsided  as  rapidly  as  it  had  arisen.  The  yacht,  on  the 
whole,  had  suffered  very  little ;  but  her  progress  had 
been  greatly  retarded,  and  this  annoyed  the  Captain  con- 
siderably. 

"  But  I  don't  see  why  it  should  fret  you  so,"  said 
Eugene,  when  he  saw  how  the  Captain  was  affected. 
"  Surely,  it  will  have  delayed  the  Unrest  as  much  as  it 
has  ourselves." 

"  If  you  could  only  insure  that  statement  as  a  fact  I 
should  be  quite  satisfied,"  returned  the  Captain. 

"But  isn't  it  a  fact  ?  "  demanded  Eugene, 


590  TONGA. 

"  It  may  be.  The  chances,  however,  are  that  it  is  not. 
The  Unrest,  no  doubt,  was  at  some  distance  to  the  east- 
ward of  us,  and  ten  to  one  the  storm  never  reached  her. 
It  is  simply  wonderful  how  confined  in  breadth  some  of 
these  storms  are.  They  move  in  a  certain  direction,  as, 
for  instance,  from  south  to  north,  like  a  mighty  river, 
only  with  a  hundred  times  the  velocity." 

"Hum!  Then  the  Unrest  may  have  reached  Tonga 
and  left  again  before  we  can  get  there." 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  fear." 

"  Well,  then,  our  stay  at  that  island  will  be  short." 

"  As  short  as  I  can  possibly  make  it,"  and  the  Captain 
hurried  forward. 

In  due  time  the  island  was  reached,  and  the  Albatross 
came  to  anchor  in  a  pleasant  harbor.  It  did  not  take 
them  long  after  they  had  landed  to  find  out  that  the 
Unrest  had  arrived  two  days  before,  and  that  she  had 
remained  in  port  less  than  twenty-four  hours.  It  was 
thought  by  their  informant  that  she  had  gone  to  Lefooga, 
or  Levuga,  the  largest  of  the  Hapai  cluster ;  but,  he  said, 
she  might  have  gone  directly  to  Vavao. 

With  as  little  delay  as  possible  the  Albatross  was  got 
under  way  for  Vavao,  the  Captain  thinking  that,  even  if 
the  Unrest  called  at  Lefooga,  he  would  stand  a  better 
chance  to  meet  her  at  Port  Refuge. 

The  brothers  were  disappointed  in  not  being  able  to 
visit  certain  interesting  localities  on  Tonga.  Eugene, 
especially,  was  anxious  to  see  a  particular  cromlech, —  a 
wonderful  stone  monument  consisting  of  two  perpendicu- 
lar rectangular  blocks  of  stone,  across  which  is  a  large 
slab  holding  an  immense  bowl,  supposed  to  have  been 
used  in  ancient  kava  ceremonies ;  but  he  was  somewhat 
consoled  when  he  learned  that  the  king  was  on  a  visit  to 
Vavao,  and  that  doubtless  he  would  have  an  opportunity 
to  meet  him  there. 


TONGA.  591 

The  distance  from  Tonga  to  Vavao  is  not  very  great, 
and,  after  a  pleasant  sail  of  several  hours,  during  which 
they  saw  many  of  the  southern  islands  of  the  Hapai  clus- 
ter, they  came  in  sight  of  their  destination. 

"  What  a  lovely  spot ! "  exclaimed  Eugene,  as  the  Cap- 
tain pointed  it  out  to  him. 

"Ah!  I  fancy  you  would  not  mind  spending  a  few 
days  there  ?  " 

"  Mind  it !  "  cried  the  young  man.  "  I  should  like  it  of 
all  things.  Is  it  really  Vavao  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  we  shall  come  to  anchor  in  Port  Refuge 
within  half  an  hour  or  so." 

Rapidly  they  drew  nearer,  passing  several  lovely  isles 
and  islets,  and  at  last  entered  the  port. 

Almost  before  the  anchors  were  down,  the  yacht  was 
fairly  surrounded  by  canoes,  and,  in  a  marvelously  short 
time,  the  decks  were  crowded  with  natives,  male  and 
female. 

They  were  all  neatly  and  modestly  dressed,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  the  best-natured  people  in  the  world.  One, 
a  distinguished  looking  individual,  in  very  good  English 
announced  himself  a  chief,  and  stated  that  the  king,  being 
at  the  island  and  close  at  hand,  sent  word  that  he  would 
be  most  happy  to  receive  the  Captain  at  his  house  on 
shore,  and  whoever  he  might  see  fit  to  bring  with  him. 

"  Just  the  thing  for  us  ! "  exclaimed  Captain  Bradford 
to  his  friends.  Then  turning  to  the  chief :  "  We  will  go 
with  you  as  soon  as  you  have  done  us  the  honor  of  par- 
taking of  a  slight  luncheon  in  the  saloon." 

The  chief  was  pleased  by  the  attention,  and  having 
indicated  some  half  a  dozen  other  persons  of  importance, 
they  were  included  in  the  invitation,  and  all  descended  to 
the  saloon. 

Being  seated  at  the  table,  and  an  opportunity  offering, 

the  Captain  asked  if  there  had  been  any  other  yacht  in 
24* 


592  TONGA 

port  within  the  last  twenty-four  hours  or  so.  There  had 
not,  but  one  was  reported  among  the  Hapai  Islands,  and 
was  expected  late  that  evening  or  some  time  the  next 
day ;  indeed,  they  had  supposed  this  to  be  the  same  yacht. 

So,  in  all  human  probability,  the  Unrest  was  no  more 
than  forty  or  fifty  miles  away,  and  they  could  afford  to 
wait  for  her. 

Luncheon  being  finished,  the  Captain  made  each  of  his 
guests  a  present,  then,  having  selected  gifts  for  the  king 
and  queen,  he  signified  his  readiness  to  start  for  the 
shore. 

It  was  decided  that  they  should  go  in  two  of  the  yacht's 
boats,  and  into  these  the  chief  and  the  matabooles  pre- 
ceded them. 

The  shore  where  the  village  was  situated  was  some- 
thing more  than  half  a  mile  distant,  but  they  reached  it 
in  a  short  time,  and  found  the  beach  crowded  with  eager 
islanders.  As  they  landed,  their  new  friend,  the  chief, 
whose  name  was  Talo,  ordered  the  crowd  to  fall  back, 
and  immediately  a  path  was  opened,  through  which  they 
passed  to  the  king's  house. 

On  the  way  Talo  told  them  —  what,  indeed,  they  already 
knew — that  the  king  usually  made  the  island  of  Tonga 
his  residence ;  "  but,"  he  said,  "  as  often  as  once  or  twice  a 
year  he  pays  a  visit  to  all  the  important  islands  of  the  three 
clusters  which  make  up  his  little  kingdom ;  and  so  it  hap- 
pens that  he  is  at  Vavao  now." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  and  entered  the  house, 
where  they  were  warmly  received  by  his  tawny  majesty. 

They  spent  an  hour  or  so  quite  pleasantly,  and  as  they 
were  about  to  withdraw  the  king  said : 

"  To-morrow,  with  a  party  of  my  chiefs  and  friends,  I 
propose  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  neighboring  island  of  Hoonga, 
to  enjoy  a  game  of  rat-shooting — something  my  ances- 
tors were  very  fond  of,  and  I  should  be  pleased  to  have 
you  all  accompany  me." 


TONGA.  593 

Eugene  cast  an  eager  glance  at  the  Captain,  who,  see- 
ing and  understanding  it,  made  haste  to  reply  to  the  king. 

"  I  fear,"  he  said,  "  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  all  to 
accept  your  majesty's  kind  invitation,  as  imperative 
duties  are  likely  to  detain  one  or  more  of  us  on  board  the 
yacht;  but  the  others  will  be  delighted  to  accompany 
you." 

The  king  graciously  said  he  could  not  expect  any  of 
them  to  neglect  their  duties,  but  that  he  would  be  pleased 
to  see  as  many  of  the  party  as  could  make  it  convenient 
to  join  in  the  sports.  And  writh  this  understanding, 
they  withdrew. 

The  next  morning,  as  nothing  had  been  seen  of  the 
Unrest,  it  was  decided  that  the  brothers  should  accom- 
pany the  king;  and  so  they  were  pulled  ashore  at  an 
early  hour,  to  be  in  time  to  join  the  hunting  party,  and 
soon  afterwards  stepped  into  the  royal  canoe. 

After  a  pleasant  sail  they  landed  on  an  island  as  beau- 
tiful, but  by  no  means  as  large  as  the  one  they  had  left, 
and  preparations  were  at  once  made  for  the  morning's 
sport. 

As  the  hog,  dog,  and  rat  are  the  only  native  quadru- 
peds of  these  islands,  rat-hunting  is  really  the  most  excit- 
ing recreation  the  king  and  his  chiefs  can  indulge  in,  and, 
as  may  readily  be  supposed,  for  ages  they  have  made  the 
most  of  it. 

The  attendants  were  ordered  to  procure  and  roast  some 
cocoanut,  which  being  done,  and  the  king  having  informed 
them  which  way  he  intended  to  take,  they  proceeded 
along  the  road  selected,  chewing  the  roasted  cocoanut 
very  finely  as  they  went,  and  blowing  a  little  of  it  at  a 
time  out  of  their  mouths  with  considerable  force,  but  so 
as  not  to  scatter  the  particles  too  much ;  for,  as  Talo 
told  them,  if  they  were  widely  distributed,  the  rats  would 
pot  be  tempted  to  stop  and  pk;k  them  up,  and  if  the  pieces 


594  TONGA. 

were   too   large,  they  would   each   run   away  with  one, 
instead  of  stopping  to  eat  their  fill. 

The  bait  was  distributed  on  each  side  of  the  road,  and 
the  attendants  proceeded  till  they  reached  a  certain  point' 
agreed  upon.  Whenever  they  came  to  a  cross-road  they 
thrust  a  reed  into  the'  ground,  as  a  taboo  or  mark  of  pro- 
hibition for  any  one  to  come  farther  in  that  direction  and 
disturb  the  rats,  while  the  king  and  his  friends  were  en- 
joying their  sport.  And  this  taboo  is  always  respected, 
even  by  the  most  powerful  chiefs.  If  one  should  be  pass- 
ing, and  see  a  reed  stuck  in  the  »oad,  he  would  stop  at 
some  distance  and  sit  down  on  the  ground,  out  of  respect 
for  the  king,  or  politeness  to  his  fellow  chiefs,  and  wait 
patiently  till  the  shooting  party  had  passed.  A  few  years 
ago,  a  petty  chief  or  one  of  the  common  people  would  not 
have  dared  to  infringe  upon  the  taboo,  as  it  would  have 
been  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

The  attendants  having  arrived  at  the  point  where  they 
were  to  stop,  sat  down  to  prepare  kava,  having  previously 
given  orders  to  the  owners  of  the  neighboring  plantations 
to  send  the  king  a  supply  of  refreshments,  such  as  pork, 
fowls,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  ripe  bananas,  and  water- 
melons. 

Meantime,  the  company  having  been  divided  into  two 
parties,  set  out  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the 
attendants  had  commenced  distributing  the  bait.  But  * 
before  starting  they  selected  leaders,  the  king  being  chosen 
to  head  the  first  party,  and  Talo  the  other.  Then  the 
two  parties  were  mixed  in  the  following  manner:  the 
king  having  taken  his  place  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
Talo  designated  one  of  his  men,  who  instantly  fell  in 
behind  his  majesty.  Then  the  king  called  one  of  his  own 
party,  who  took  his  position  behind  this  man ;  then  came 
another  of  Talo's  party,  then  one  of  the  king's,  and  so  on 
alternately.  Thus  the  two  parties  were  made  up  for  the 
game. 


TONGA.  595 

The  brothers  noticed  that  certain  rules  were  carefully 
observed  throughout  the  morning.  In  the  first  place,  no 
one  attempted  to  shoot  a  rat  in  front  of  him  except  the 
person  who  happened,  for  the  time  being,  to  be  first  in 
the  line ;  but  any  one  shot  at  one  that  he  happened  to 
see,  either  abreast  or  behind  him.  As  soon  as  one  of  the 
hunters  had  fired  an  arrow,  whether  he  hit  the  object 
aimed  at  or  not,  he  changed  places  with  the  man  next 
behind  him ;  so  that,  after  a  time,  the  last  man,  who  nat- 
urally did  not  have  as  many  opportunities  to  fire  as  the 
others,  came  to  be  first,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  king* 
in  his  row,  and  Talo,  in  his,  came  to  be  last.  Talo's 
party,  having  killed  ten  rats,  won  the  game.  If  there  are 
plenty  of  rats,  they  generally  play  several  games. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  any  of  the  cross  roads, 
they  pulled  up  the  reeds  placed  as  a  taboo,  that  travelers 
coming  afterwards  might  not  be  interrupted  in  their  pro- 
gress. When  they  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  attend- 
ants were  waiting,  they  sat  down  and  partook  of  what 
was  prepared  for  them,  the  brothers  enjoying  it  hugely— 
all  but  the  kava,  which,  for  obvious  reasons,  they  could 
not  touch. 

While  they  were  eating,  Talo  gave  the  brothers  some 
further  information  with  regard  to  the  game. 

"  If,"  he  said,  "  any  one  of  either  party  should  see  a 
fair  shot  at  a  bird,  he  may  take  aim  at  it.  If  he  kills  it, 
it  counts  the  same  as  a  rat ;  but  whether  he  hits  it  or  not, 
if  he  ventures  a  shot,  he  changes  place  with  the  man 
behind  him." 

"  I  noticed,"  remarked  Eugene,  "  that  whenever  a  rat 
started  to  run,  the  man  who  was  going  to  shoot  at  him 
cried  out,  'Too!'" 

"  Yes,"  said  Talo, "  in  our  language  that  means '  Stop ! ' 
And  generally,  as  you  may  also  have  noticed,  it  has  the 
effect  of  making  the  rat  -stop." 


596  TONGA. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Eugene,  "  I  observed  that,  and  then  he 
would  sit  up,  and  appear  too  much  frightened  to  attempt 
his  escape." 

"  What  long  arrows  you  use,"  observed  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  chief,  "  for  these  games  they  are 
nearly  six  feet  long,  and,  as  you  see,  they  are  made  of 
reed,  headed  with  iron-wood.  They  are  not  feathered," 
he  added,  taking  up  one, "  and  their  great  length  is  requi- 
site, that  they  may  go  straight  enough  to  hit  a  small 
object ;  besides  which,  it  is  advantageous  in  taking  aim 
through  a  thick  bush." 

"  You  don't  have  more  than  two  or  three  apiece,  I  no- 
ticed," said  Eugene. 

"  No ;  for  as  soon  as  a  person  has  discharged  one  from 
his  bow,  it  is  immediately  brought  to  him  by  one  of  the 
attendants  who  follow  the  party." 

"  The  bows  are  also  about  six  feet  long,  are  they  not  ?  " 
asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply ;  "  and  they  are  not  quite  as 
strong  as  ordinary  bows,  lest  the  difficulty  of  bending 
them  should  occasion  a  slight  trembling  of  the  hand, 
which  Avould  render  the  aim  less  certain." 

"  1  sue  the  rats  have  been  saved,"  said  Eugene.  "  Are 
they  put  to  any  use  ?  " 

"  Ah ! "  laughed  Talo.  "  You  had  better  ask  the  attend- 
ants about  that.  I  suppose  they  cat  them ;  they  either  do 
so  or  sell  them  to  the  common  people  for  food,  but  chiefs 
never  make  a  meal  of  them,  though,  as  they  live  chiefly 
upon  such  vegetable  substances  as  sugar-cane,  bread  fruit, 
and  cocounut,  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not,  if  our 
taste  should  happen  to  run  that  way." 

The  party,  having  finished  their  lunch,  directed  their 
walk  at  random  across  the  island,  and  came  at  length  to 
a  peculiar  and  now  very  famous  cavern,  situated  on  the 
western  coast,  the  entrance  to  which  is  some  feet  beneath 


TONGA.  597 

the  surface  of  the  sea,  even  at  low  water,  and  was  first 
discovered  by  a  young  chief,  while  diving  after  a  turtle. 

This  really  wonderful  cavern  is  described  by  Lord 
Byron,  in  his  poem  entitled  "  The  Island,"  and  a  fascin- 
ating legend  attaches  to  it.  Perhaps  its  nature  will  be 
better  understood  if  we  imagine  a  hollow  rock  rising 
odd  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  into  the  cavity  of 
which  there  is  no  known  entrance  but  one,  and  that  on 
the  side  of  the  rock,  several  feet  under  the  water  which 
flows  into  it ;  and  consequently  the  base  of  the  cavern 
may  be  said  to  be  the  sea  itself. 

The  king  proposed  that  they  should  all  enter  the  sub- 
marine cave,  and,  after  some  hesitation,  Chester  and  Eu- 
gene consented.  They  took  their  places  in  a  canoe,  and 
were  paddled  out  in  front  of  the  rock,  where  two  upright 
sticks  were  pointed  out  to  them  as  marking  the  entrance. 
Having  jumped  overboard,  two  natives  seized  each  by  the 
hand,  and  directed  them  to  the  entrance.  They  experi- 
enced some  difficulty  in  getting  through,  but  at  last  rose 
to  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  cavern.  The  phosphor- 
escent light  caused  by  the  movement  of  the  water  is  very 
brilliant,  and  the  roof  and  walls  are  indescribably  grand 
in  form  and  color.  The  brothers  were  charmed,  delighted, 
and  the  half-hour  they  spent  in  that  strange  place  was 
like  a  dream.  But  the  worst  part  was  to  come :  they 
were  obliged  to  return  to  the  outer  world  by  the  same 
way  they  had  entered  ;  and  when  at  length  they  emerged 
from  the  water  on  the  outside  and  were  lifted  into  the 
canoe  they  were  almost  completely  exhausted. 

After  this  adventure  the  party  returned  to  Yavao,  and 
the  brothers  hastened  on  board  the  yacht.  Captain  Brad- 
ford and  the  Professor  were  on  the  quarter-deck  convers- 
ing with  a  white  man  and  a  native  chief. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  as  the  brothers  ap- 
proached, "  we  were  waiting  for  you." 


598  TONGA. 

"  What !  is  there  anything  new  ? "  asked  Eugene  eagerly, 
at  the  same  time  eying  the  white  stranger  with  a  curious 
glance. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Captain.  "  Your  ignis-fatuus  of 
an  uncle  has  given  us  the  slip  again.  He  has  gone  to 
Yi-ti  Levu,  the  principal  island  of  the  Fiji  group." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  demanded  Eugene,  quickly. 

"  These  gentlemen  told  me,"  and  the  Captain  indicated 
the  white  man  and  his  tawny  companion. 

Eugene  looked  as  though  he  would  like  a  farther  expla- 
nation ;  and  in  answer  to  the  look  the  Captain  said  : 

"  This  is  Mr.  Thomas  Talbot  of  Viti  Levu,  and  this  the 
chief  Lolo  Hea,  a  native  of  Vavao,  but  residing  at  Viti 
Levu.  They  have  been  to  the  Hapai  Islands  on  important 
business,  and  were  anxious  to  return  home  by  way  of 
Yavoa.  At  Lefooga  they  saw  the  Unrest,  and  were  told 
that  she  was  coming  here,  and  then  would  proceed  to 
Fiji.  As  that  would  just  suit  them,  they  hastened  aboard 
and  solicited  passage.  '  George  Thompson,'  the  captain 
and  owner,  informed  them  that  he  had  been  obliged  to 
change  his  plans,  and  should  not  stop  at  Yavao,  or  any  of 
the  islands  of  this  cluster,  but  proceed  at  once  to  Fiji, 
after  which  he  would  sail  to  the  north." 

"  To  the  north ! "  exclaimed  the  brothers  in  a  breath. 
"  What  does  that  mean  ? " 

"  It  simply  means  he  is  going  to  Hawaii." 

"  Why,  I  thought  he  was  going  to  settle  in  this  or  one 
of  the  neighboring  groups,"  said  Eugene. 

"I  think  lie  is  a  man  who  is  not  of  the  same  mind  two 
days  together,"  rejoined  the  Captain. 

"  It  begins  to  look  very  much  like  it.  But  how  did 
these  men  get  here,  if  they  did  not  come  in  the  Unrest?" 

"  That 's  easily  explained,"  said  Mr.  Talbot.  "  We  came 
in  that  little  trading  sloop  yonder,  and  made  a  mighty 
quick  passage." 


FIJI   ISLANDS.  599 

"  And  learning  on  shore  that  we  were  likely  to  be  going 
to  Fiji,"  added  the  Captain,  "  they  came  off  to  see  me, 
and  I  have  agreed  to  take  them." 

"  And  when  do  you  sail,  Captain  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Almost  immediately,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Here  comes  the  king  and  all  his  chiefs  and  matabooles 
to  return  our  visit,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  suddenly. 

"  Then  we  must  give  them  an  hour,  I  suppose,"  said 
the  Captain ;  "  but  after  that  we  will  be  off." 

"  All  right.     I  'm  agreeable,"  returned  Eugene. 

The  king  and  his  friends  came  on  board,  and  were  re- 
ceived with  due  honor.  They  spent  a  very  pleasant  hour, 
and  left  the  yacht  with  regret.  Immediately  after  their 
departure  the  Captain  gave  the  signal,  and  the  Albatross 
steamed  out  of  the  harbor  on  her  way  to  Fiji  or  the  Viti 
Islands. 

Naturally,  it  being  a  lovely  day,  or  rather  evening,  for 
the  day  was  well-nigh  spent,  the  passengers  established 
themselves  on  the  quarter-deck  ;  and  here,  when  the  yacht 
had  been  put  upon  her  course,  the  Captain  joined  them. 

"  When  shall  we  see  the  first  islands  of  the  Fijian 
group,  Captain?"  asked  Eugene,  before  he  had  fairly 
taken  his  seat. 

"  By  this  time  to-morrow,"  was  the  answer. 

"  There  are  a  vast  number  of  islands  in  the  archipelago," 
observed  Chester. 

"  More  than  two  hundred  and  twenty-five,"  said  Mr. 
Talbot,  "  of  which  number  one  hundred  and  forty  are  in- 
habited." 

"  Fiji  is  the  name  for  the  whole  group,  is  it  not  ?  "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Not  strictly  speaking,"  was  the  reply ;  "  though  cus- 
tom has  made  it  so.  Fiji  is  the  name  in  the  windward  or 
northern  portion,  and  Viti  in  the  leeward  or  southern." 

"  You  have  lived  on  the  islands  for  some  time,  have 
you  not  ?  "  asked  Captain  Bradford. 


600  FIJI   ISLANDS. 

"  About  eighteen  years,"  answered  Mr.  Talbot. 

"  Ah !  then  you  must  know  a  great  deal  about  them," 
exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  perhaps  as  much  as  any  white  man  in  the  group," 
said  their  new  friend. 

"  Why,  you  were  there  before  the  islands  were  '  gobbled 
up '  by  the  English." 

"  Gently,  gently,  my  young  friend.  I  am  an  English- 
man myself,  and,  I  can  assure  you,  the  annexation  was 
the  best  thing  in  the  world  for  Fiji." 

"  Ah !  but  would  you  say  so  if  any  other  country  had 
taken  possession  of  the  islands  —  the  United  States,  for 
instance  ?  " 

"  I  would  have  thrown  up  both  hands  for  joy  if  the 
United  States  had  taken  them.  Why,  young  man,  I  was 
one  of  the  seventy  white  residents  who  petitioned  your 
government  to  assume  the  dominion  or  protectorate  of 
the  islands  as  long  ago  as  1869." 

"And  our  government  paid  little  or  no  attention  to 
your  petition,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  None  worth  mentioning." 

"  So  then  you  turned  to  England  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  something  had  to  be  done.  We  were  having 
some  terrible  experiences  there.  I  could  tell  you  things 
that  would  fairly  make  your  hair  stand  on  end,  and  mat- 
ters were  going  from  bad  to  worse." 

"Was  n't  there  whites  enough  to  take  control  of  affairs  ?" 

"  In  1871  the  white  population  had  so  far  increased 
that  we  thought  we  might  venture  to  do  something,  and 
so  established  a  regular  government  and  adopted  a  con- 
stitution. But  it  didn't  last:  the  constitution  was  abol- 
ished, and  the  government  relapsed  into  barbarism.  It 
was  in  1874  that  we  tendered  the  sovereignty  of  Fiji  to 
Great  Britain,  and  later  when  she  took  possession." 

"  How  many  whites  are  there  in  the  group  at  the  pres- 
ent time  ?  "  asked  Professor  Singleton. 


FIJI   ISLANDS.  601 

"  Not  less  than  5,500,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  that 's 
nothing  when  compared  with  the  natives,  who  number 
more  than  250,000." 

"  The  island  to  which  we  are  bound  is  the  largest,  the 
Captain  says,"  remarked  Eugene. 

"Yes,  Viti  Levu,  or  Naviti  Levu,  is  the  largest  and 
most  populous  island  of  the  group ;  it  is  more  than  ninety- 
seven  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  about  sixty-four  miles 
from  north  to  south." 

"  And  it  has  at  least  one  good  harbor,"  suggested  the 
Captain. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Mr.  Talbot.  "  Suva  harbor  is  well 
sheltered,  free  from  shoals,  and  easy  of  access." 

"  There  are  quite  a  number  of  large  towns  on  the 
island,  I  am  told,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Yes ;  I  can  think  of  some  eighteen  or  twenty,  of 
which,  perhaps,  Namena  is  the  largest." 

"  Which  is  the  next  most  important  island  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Vanua  Levu,  or  Great  Island,  which  is  sixty-nine 
miles  north  of  Bau,  a  small  island  just  east  of  Viti  Levu, 
from  which  distance  in  the  group  is  always  reckoned.  It 
is  one  hundred  and  fifteen  miles  long,  and,  on  an  average, 
twenty-five  miles  broad.  It  has  eleven  or  twelve  large 
towns  and  a  great  many  villages." 

"  It  has  a  very  fine  bay,  if  I  remember  rightly,"  observed 
the  Captain. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  the  Bay  of  Nasavusavu  is  ten  miles  long 
and  five  miles  broad,  and  is  surrounded  by  very  high  and 
broken  land,  rising  in  many  places  into  lofty  mountain 
peaks.  In  fact,  the  island  is  mountainous,  and  can  boast  • 
of  several  fine  streams,  one  of  which  empties  into  the  bay. 
The  third  island  is  Taviuni,  often  called  Yuna  or  Somo- 
somo.  It  is  about  twenty-four  miles  long,  and  nine  broad. 
The  whole  island  is  one  vast  mountain,  2,052  feet  high, 
and  very  fertile." 


602  FIJI    ISLANDS. 

"  Is  n't  that  the  island  where  they  catch  the  big  eels  ?  " 
asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes.  On  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  a  lake  containing 
vast  numbers  of  large  eels,  of  which  the  natives  are  very 
fond." 

"  Are  there  many  inhabitants  on  this  island  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes,  it  is  quite  thickly  settled,  and  has  many  large 
towns." 

"  Of  course,"  continued  Mr.  Talbot,  "  it  would  take  me 
all  night  to  speak  of  all  the  islands ;  but  I  must  not  pass 
over  one  —  Ovalau,  a  mountainous  island,  very  beautiful, 
and  of  volcanic  origin.  It  is  about  twenty  miles  from 
Bau,  and  is  eight  miles  long,  and  about  seven  broad. 
There  are  many  lovely  valleys,  but  they  extend  only  a 
short  distance  into  the  interior,  and  have  little  level 
ground.  They  are  exceedingly  fertile,  with  a.  deep,  rich 
soil,  and  are  all  well  cultivated.  There  are  many  har- 
bors, all  formed  by  the  reefs,  and  on  these  harbors,  of 
course,  there  are  many  towns  and  villages." 

"  Levuka  is  on  this  island,  is  it  not  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes  ;  it  is  situated  on  the  cast  side,  and,  as  you  doubt- 
less know,  is  chiefly  inhabited  by  foreigners.  For  years 
it  has  been  the  seat  of  the  Fijian  government,  the  resi- 
dence of  foreign  consuls,  the  principal  port,  and  has  sev- 
eral large  buildings,  such  as  churches,  hotels,  and  stores. 

"  But,  after  all,  it  is  not  the  largest  nor  the  most  im- 
portant town,"  observed  the  Captain. 

"  No ;  that  distinction  belongs  to  Bau,  or  Mbau,"  replied 
Mr.  Talbot,  "a  place  of  some  1,500  inhabitants,  on  the 
small  island  of  the  same  name,  which  is  connected  with 
the  large  island  of  Viti  Lcvu  by  a  stretch  of  coral,  forda- 
blc  at  high  water,  and  partially  bare  at  low  water." 

"  Lakemba,  or  Lakeba,  is  the  principal  island  on  the 
windward  side  of  the  group,  is  it  not?"  asked  Mr.  Mor- 
gan, who  had  joined  the  party  on  the  quarter-deck. 


FIJI   ISLANDS.  603 

"  Yes,"  assented  Mr.  Talbot,  "  and  its  chief  town  is 
Tombou.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from 
Bau." 

"  Fiji  is  rich  in  vegetation  and  very  fruitful,  I  believe," 
said  the  Professor,  in  a  suggestive  way. 

"  While  there  are  a  few  not  very  productive  islands," 
returned  Mr.  Talbot,  "  by  far  the  greater  number  abound 
in  forest  trees  and  every  species  of  fruit  and  vegetable. 
At  present  we  are  raising  large  quantities  of  cotton,  and 
many  of  the  whites,  including  myself,  are  planting  coffee." 

"  Fish  are  plenty  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  of  every  variety,  including  sole,  mullet,  and 
a  kind  of  sea  worm,  called  babolo,  found  on  some  reefs 
toward  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  and  which  is  much  es- 
teemed by  the  natives  as  food.  Oysters  also  are  plenty. 
Then  there  are  birds,  more  kinds  than  I  can  name,  from 
the  sacred  coqe  to  the  little  bid" 

"  Now  about  the  natives,"  said  Eugene.  "  That 's  what 
will  interest  me  most." 

"  Well,  what  shall  I  tell  you  about  them  ?" 

"  Don't  tell  us  anything  we  already  know,"  said  Ches- 
ter, hastily  ;  "  for  that  would  only  be  a  waste  of  time." 

"  Now  you  have  me,"  laughed  Mr.  Talbot,  good-na- 
turedly. "  How  can  I  tell  what  you  know  ? " 

"  Well,"  said  Chester,  "  we  know  that  they  belong  to 
the  Papuan  race,  that  they  are  stout  of  limb  and  short  of 
neck,  that  they  are  much  darker  than  the  Tongans,  but 
lighter  than  Africans,  that  they  dress  their  hair  much 
after  the  style  of  the  Papuans,  and  usually  wear  heavy 
beards  and  mustaches." 

"  Why,  it  looks  as  though  there  was  very  little  left  for 
me  to  tell,"  laughed  the  Englishman. 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  is  a  great  deal,"  said  Eugene.  "  For 
instance :  is  it  true  that  they  do  not  practice  tattooing  ?  " 

"  They  are  not  wholly  free  from  the  custom  ;  but  only 


604  FIJI    ISLANDS. 

women  are  tattooed,  and  that  on  the  parts  of  the  body 
which  are  covered." 

"  How  do  they  dress  ?  " 

"  The  men  wear  a  sash  of  white,  brown,  or  figured 
masi,  using,  generally,  about  six  yards ;  but  I  have  often 
seen  wealthy  persons  with  them  more  than  a  hundred 
yards  long.  The  women  wear  a  liku,  or  fringed  band, 
made  of  some  kind  of  grass,  the  bark  of  a  tree,  and  the 
fiber  of  a  wild  root.  The  fringe  is  from  three  to  ten 
inches  deep." 

"  They  have  a  great  weakness  for  ear  ornaments,"  sug- 
gested the  Captain. 

"  Yes,  they  bore  the  lobe  of  the  ear,  and  distend  the 
hole,  and  wear  enormous  trinkets," 

"  Both  sexes  paint  their  bodies  ? "  said  Mr.  Morgan, 
inquiringly. 

"Yes,  generally  using  red  paint.  They  also  anoint 
themselves  with  oil." 

"  Girls  marry  at  a  very  early  age  ? "  said  the  Captain. 

"  Yes,  and  often  to  old  men.'  They  have  a  great  many 
very  singular  customs  :  for  instance,  brothers  and  sisters, 
first  cousins,  fathers  and  sons-in-law,  mothers  and  daugh- 
ters-in-law never  speak  to  each  other  nor  eat  from  the 
same  dish ;  and,  for  that  matter,  husbands  and  wives  do 
not  eat  together." 

"  They  eat  but  two  meals  a  day,  I  think/'  said  the 
Captain. 

"  That  is  only  the  common  people.  The  chiefs  eat 
three,  or  even  more  meals." 

"  Is  it  true  that  no  two  persons  ever  drink  from  the 
same  cup?"  askod  Eugene. 

"  It  would  be  true;  if  any  one  ever  drank  from  a  cup ;  but, 
because  they  will  not  drink  after  each  other,  they  hold 
the  vessel  about  ten  inches  above  the  mouth,  and  pour 
the  stream  down  the  throat." 


FIJI   ISLANDS.  605 

"  That 's  a  little  inconsistent,"  muttered  the  Captain ; 
*'  for  I  have  myself  seen  them  eating  with  their  fingers." 

"  Of  course  ;  and  they  would  think  it  very  uncleanly  to 
use  a  knife  or  fork  that  some  one  might  have  used  before 
them." 

"  They  are  a  singular  people  ;  but  the  missionaries  have 
done  a  great  work  among  them  of  late,"  remarked  the 
Professor. 

"Indeed  they  have,"  rejoined  Mr.  Talbot,  warmly. 
"  Just  think  what  they  were  only  a  few  short  years  ago, 
and  what  they  are  to-day.  Why,  I  can  remember  when 
they  were  a  nation  of  cannibals,  nothing  more  ;  but  that's 
all  changed  now,  and  the  missionaries  deserve  the  credit 
of  it." 

"  You  must  have  seen  Thakombau,  the  late  king  of 
Bau,  quite  often  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  and  a  more  heartless  old  villain  never  lived. 
But  the  missionaries  made  quite  another  man  of  him  be- 
fore he  died." 

"  So  I  should  judge  from  an  article  I  find  in  a  late 
number  of  the  Missionary  Herald.  Referring  to  the 
change  in  him  and  his  people,  the  writer  says :  '  They 
have  altogether  ceased  to  be  cruel.  One's  life  is  as  safe 
in  Fiji  as  it  would  be  in  any  part  of  the  world,  and  the 
kindly  people  care  most  thoughtfully  for  all  who  come 
among  them.  The  missionaries  who  have  labored  there 
with  such  marvelous  success  have  been  English  Wesley- 
ans  ;  and  they  have  churches,  with  crowded  congrega- 
tions, on  every  island,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  house  in 
which  may  not  be  heard  daily  morning  and  evening  prayer 
in  the  family.  There  are  1,400  schools  and  900  native 
preachers  in  Fiji.  Old  Thakombau,  the  once  treacherous 
and  bloodthirsty  cannibal,  died  in  1884,  a  faithful,  gentle, 
intelligent,  and  devoted  Christian,  who  was  greatly  re- 
spected and  loved  by  all  who  saw  him.  The  lion  had 
become  the  lamb.' " 


606 


FIJI   ISLANDS. 


"  All  quite  true,"  assented  Mr.  Talbot ;  "  still,  in  the 
mountain  fastnesses,  there  are  many  pagans  left  yet,  who 

cling  to  their  formidable  weap- 
ons of  war  and  ancient  customs." 
"  What  arms  do  these  moun- 
tain savages  chiefly  use  ? "  asked 
Eugene. 

"  Clubs,  spears,  battle-axes, 
the  bow,  the  sling,  the  musket, 
and  they  even  have  a  few  rifles," 
was  the  answer. 

u  I  have  heard  something  about 
their  clubs,"  said  Eugene.  "  In 
most  of  them,  I  take  it,  is  exhib- 
ited the  fancifully  artistic  nature 
of  the  manufacturers." 

"  Yes,  upon  his  club  the  Fijian 
lavishes  all  the  artistic  power  at 
his  command,  covering  nearly 
the  whole  of  it  with  the  most 
intricate  and  delicately  executed 
carvings.  Some  clubs  are 
straight,  like  thick  cudgels ; 
others  are  curved.  Those  which 
are  knobbed  at  the  end  have  an 
infinite  variety  in  the  knob. 
Some  are  more  or  less  flattened, 
while  others  are  so  flat  and  so 
broad  that  it  is  not  easy  at  first 
sight  to  determine  whether  they 
are  clubs  or  paddles.  Some  are 
so  large  that  they  require  a  strong 

man  to  wield  them,  while  others  are  so  short  that  they 
are  kept  stuck  in  the  girdle,  and  are  used  as  missiles.  A 
pagan  Fijian  often  has  two  or  more  of  these  short  clubs 
with  him." 


FIJIAN    CLUBS. 


FIJI    ISLANDS.  607 

"  I  suppose  there  are  still  some  of  their  pagan  temples 
to  be  seen  ?  "  said  Chester  inquiringly. 


FIJIAN    CLUBS. 


"  Yes,  lures,  or  temples  of  the  gods,  are  still  to  be  met 
with.     Formerly,  there  was  at  least  one  burf  in    every 

village,  and  in  some  villages  there  were  several.     They 
25 


608 


FIJI  ISLANDS. 


were  made  of  the  same  material  as  the  houses,  but  with 
much  more  care..    Instead  of  being  merely  set  on  the 


A    BURft,    OR    TEMPLE. 

ground,  they  were  placed  on  an  eminence,  sometimes  only 
a  slight  one,  and  sometimes  twenty  feet  or  more  in  height. 
The  natives  used  to  think  no  labor  too  great  for  the  deco- 


FIJI   ISLANDS.  609 

ration  of  a  bur£,  and  it  was  in  those  buildings  that  their 
marvelous  skill  in  plaiting  sinnet  was  best  shown.  Every 
beam,  post,  and  pillar  was  entirely  covered  with  sinnet 
plaited  into  the  most  beautiful  patterns,  black  and  red 
being  the  favorite  colors ;  and  even  the  reeds  which  lined 
the  window-frames  and  filled  up  the  interstices  between 
the  pillars,  were  hidden  in  the  plaited  sinnet  with  which 
they  were  covered.  So  lavish  were  the  natives  of  their 
work  that  they  even  made  large  plaited  cords  of  sinnet, 
and  hung  them  in  festoons  from  the  eaves." 

•'  I  certainly  hope  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  one  of 
their  6wr£s,"  said  Eugene. 

"  You  shall,"  rejoined  Mr.  Talbot,  "  for  I  will  myself 
take  you  to  one  of  them." 

"It's  a  bargain,"  cried  Eugene. 

"  The  Fijians  have  a  great  weakness  for  speech-making, 
have  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester,  presently. 

"  You  may  well  call  it  a  weakness,"  returned  Mr.  Tal- 
bot. "  They  seem,  above  all  things,  to  like  to  hear  them- 
selves talk ;  and  when  they  speak  in  council  or  before 
any  great  assembly,  they  always  hold  a  curious  article  in 
their  hand,  which  is  called  the  orator's  flapper.  I  have 
one  at  home,  and  it  is  well  worth  examining.  The  han- 
dle is  carved  into  various  patterns,  and  is  terminated  by 
a  rude  representation  of  a  couple  of  human  figures  seated 
back  to  back.  Sometimes  the  entire  handle  is  covered 
with  sinnet,  plaited  in  the  most  delicate  patterns,  as  only 
a  Fijian  can  plait.  The  tuft  at  the  end  is  formed  of 
cocoanut  fiber,  which  has  first  been  soaked  in  water,  next 
rolled  round  a  small  twig,  and  then  dried.  When  it  is 
unbound  from  the  stick  it  has  a  crisp,  wrinkled  appear- 
ance, like  the  Fijians'  hair,  which  I  have  no  doubt  it  is 
intended  to  represent." 

Eugene  was  about  to  ask  another  question,  but  the 
Captain  intimated  that  the  steward  would  probably  be 


610  FIJI   ISLANDS. 

gkid  to  see  them  in  the  saloon  below,  as  he  remembered 
hearing  the  supper-bell  some  little  time  before.  And  so, 
leaving  the  subject  of  Fiji,  they  hastened  to  discuss  the 
good  things  prepared  for  them  by  the  yacht's  "  doctor." 


ORATOR'S  FLAPPER. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS. 

THE  next  day  the  passengers  on  board  the  yacht 
caught  sight  of  the  outlying  isles  of  the  Fiji  group 
rather  earlier  than  the  Captain  had  promised  they  should. 
And  from  that  time  till  they  came  to  anchor  in  Suva 
harbor,  there  were  always  several  to  be  seen  on  either 
hand. 

On  reaching  port  the  Captain  and  his  guests  hastened 
ashore,  although  it  was  nearly  night ;  and,  while  Mr. 
Talbot  and  Lolo  Hea  went  to  their  own  homes,  the  others 
proceeded  to  the  residence  of  the  American  consul. 

The  Unrest,  the  consul  informed  them,  had  not  arrived ; 
and  when  they  expressed  their  disappointment,  he  sug- 
gested that  she  might  be  at  Bau.  The  suggestion  appear- 
ing reasonable,  they  resolved  to  return  to  the  yacht  for 
the  night,  and  if  the  Unrest  was  not  in  port  in  the  morn- 
ing, to  seek  her  at  Bau. 

The  morning  came.  They  were  on  deck  bright  and 
early,  but  there  was  no  Unrest  in  the  harbor  to  glad- 
doa  their  eyes.  The  Captain  said  he  would  wait  an 
hour  for  her,  and  that,  meantime,  they  would  break- 
fast. While  they  were  at  the  table  Mr.  Talbot  came 
aboard.  He  was  already  acquainted  with  the  fact  that 
the  other  yacht  had  not  arrived  at  Suva,  and  approved  of 
the  plan  of  looking  for  her  at  Bau.  He  offered  to  accom- 
pany them  there,  and  they  accepted  the  offer  with  pleasure. 

The  Albatross  was  got  under  way  almost  immediately, 
and,  a  few  hours  later,  was  in  the  harbor  of  Bau.  Xoth- 

(611) 


612  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

ing  had  been  seen  of  the  Unrest  there,  and,  after  some 
hesitation,  Captain  Bradford  determined  to  seek  for  her 
in  every  part  of  the  group.  Mr.  Talbot  remained  with 
them,  and  the  brothers  found  him  a  valuable  companion 
whenever  they  had  an  opportunity  to  go  ashore  on  the 
different  islands.  At  length,  when  they  had  been  cruis- 
ing about  the  group  for  nearly  a  week,  and  had  returned 
to  Suva  for  the  third  time,  they  learned  that  the  Unrest 
had  been  there  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  had  sailed 
for  Lahaina,  the  port  of  Maui,  one  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

They  hastened  to  the  landing,  where,  with  many  ex- 
pressions of  regret,  they  parted  with  Mr.  Talbot,  and  were 
pulled  out  to  the  yacht.  A  little  later  they  were  steam- 
ing toward  the  north  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  knots  an  hour. 

That  evening,  when  they  were  gathered  in  the  saloon, 
Eugene  took  occasion  to  consult  the  chart.  He  saw  that, 
on  their  long  passage  to  Kalakaua's  little  kingdom,  they 
would  pass  myriads  of  islands  on  either  hand,  some  of 
which  he  felt  quite  well  acquainted  with,  such  as  the 
Duke  of  York's  and  the  Kingsmills,  while  of  others,  like 
Solitary,  Arthur,  and  Palmyra,  he  knew  little  more  than 
their  names. 

"  Maui,"  he  said,  looking  up,  with  his  finger  resting  on 
the  point  toward  which  they  were  hastening,  "  is  n't  that 
the  island  where  Specklcs's  great  sugar  plantation  is 
situated?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Professor,  "  and  it  is  the  largest 
plantation  in  the  world,  the  area  under  cultivation  being 
10,000  acres,  one-quarter  of  which  is  planted  every  year. 
About  $2,000,000  have  already  been  expended  on  the 
*  plant.'  The  machinery,  which  was  made  in  the  United 
States,  is  of  the  best.  The  ditches  which  supply  the  water 
cost  $250,000,  and  one  of  them  is  twenty  miles  long." 

"The  plantation  must  give  employment  to  a  great 
many  men,"  suggested  Chester. 


HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS.  613 

"Yes,  more  than  1,500  common  laborers  are  employed, 
of  which  number  QOO  are  Chinese.  Then,  to  make  up  the 
complement,  there  are  Japanese,  Hawaiians,  and  other 
Polynesians,  and  natives  of  every  nation  in  Europe  and 
America." 

<;  To  support  such  a  vast  number  they  must  produce  an 
enormous  quantity  of  sugar,"  said  Chester. 

"  They  grind  up  no  less  than  800  tons  of  cane  per  day, 
resulting  in  a  daily  yield  of  about  eighty  tons  of  sugar." 

"  Under  favorable  conditions,  what  ought  the  average 
yield  to  be  per  acre  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Perhaps  four  tons  would  be  a  fair  average,  though 
there  are  small  plantations  that  yield  as  high  as  eight 
tons  per  acre." 

"  It  strikes  me  as  a  little  singular  that  there  should  be 
such  a  wide  representation  of  nationalities  on  these  is- 
lands," said  Eugene.  "  How  do  you  account  for  it,  Pro- 
fessor ?  " 

"It  is  easily  accounted  for,"  was  the  answer.  "The 
natives  are  not  fond  of  work.  As  a  rule,  they  labor  only 
when  they  are  driven  to  it,  and  that  isn't  often,  as  they 
subsist  mainly  on  raw  fish  and  poi,  and  the  item  of  cloth- 
ing is  not  very  burdensome.  Hence,  as  no  dependence 
could  be  placed  on  them,  and  as  it  was  necessary  to  have 
laborers  for  the  plantations,  the  Chinese  were  called  in ; 
and,  after  20,000  had  landed,  it  was  found  that  they  were 
more  of  a  curse  than  a  blessing,  and  so  further  immigra- 
tion from  that  quarter  was  checked.  Then  other  nations 
were  tried,  one  after  another,  until  they  came  to  Japan, 
where,  I  think,  they  have  found  just  the  help  they  want ; 
and  already  2,100  of  the  Japanese  have  made  Hawaii  their 
home." 

"  But,  according  to  a  newspapt.  'tern  I  have  here,"  said 
Chester, "  the  children  of  the  mikado  are  not  regarded  by 
the  Hawaiians  with  quite  the  satisfaction  your  remark 


614  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

would  seem  to  imply.  *  The  authorities  of  Honolulu,'  it 
says,  '  are  discussing  a  plan  for  importing  Scotch  crofters 
to  work  on  the  sugar  plantations,  the  late  experiment 
with  Japanese  having  proved  disastrous.' " 

"  I  am  surprised  to  hear  that,"  said  the  Professor, 
thoughtfully,  "  for  I  had  been  led  to  expect  much  from 
the  Japanese.  Now,  I  don't  know  where  the  redemption 
of  the  little  kingdom  is  to  come  from." 

"  I  have  seen  many  statements,"  said  Chester,  "  pur- 
porting to  give  the  population  of  the  islands,  but  they  dif- 
fer so  widely  I  don't  know  what  to  believe.  Can  you 
give  us  the  correct  figures,  Professor?" 

"  On  the  nineteenth  day  of  last  August,"  replied  the 
Professor, "  the  secretary  of  state  received  an  official  copy 
of  the  last  census  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  taken  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  preceding  December,  which  makes 
the  total  population  of  the  islands  84,409.  Of  this  num- 
ber 19,818  are  Chinese,  9,000  Portuguese,  and  2,068 
Japanese." 

"  According  to  that  and  other  published  statements,  I 
should  judge  the  foreigners  must  outnumber  the  natives 
by  this  time." 

"The  foreigners  and  half-breeds  together  outnumber 
the  natives,  without  doubt." 

"  Are  there  many  half-breeds  ?  " 

"  Several  thousands." 

"  I  have  always  heard  the  natives  spoken  of  as  a  good- 
looking  people,"  said  Eugene. 

"The  men,  as  a  rule,  are  tall,  active,  and  powerful, 
and,  in  color,  are  of  an  olive  brown,  the  precise  depth  of 
tint  varying  much  according  to  the  exposure  to  the  sun, 
so  that  the  skins  of  the  upper  class  are  much  lighter  than 
those  of  the  common  people.  The  hair  is  jet  black, 
sometimes  quite  straight,  and  sometimes  wavy.  The  face 
is  usually  wide,  and  is  a  very  handsome  one,  the  only 


HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.  617 

fault  being  a  tendency  to  width  across  the  nostrils.  Of 
course,  they  have  adopted  the  dress  of  the  foreigners, 
though,  in  certain  localities,  they  still,  at  times,  wear  the 
maro. 

"  The  women,  when  young,  are  exceedingly  beautiful, 
their  features  having  a  peculiar  charm  of  their  own,  and 
their  forms  being  like  those  of  the  ancient  Grecian  stat- 
ues. Moreover,  they  retain  their  good  looks  longer  than 
is  usual  amqng  Polynesians  ;  but,  like  the  other  sex,  they 
generally  attain  to  great  size  in  their  latter  years,  those 
of  the  upper  class  being  remarkable  for  their  enormous 
corpulence.  This  development  is  probably  owing  to  the 
great  quantity  of  poi  which  they  are  continually  eating." 

"  Don't  let  us  get  away  from  their  youth  and  beauty,  if 
you  please,"  said  Eugene,  hastily*  "Just  hear  what  the 
'  Haole* '  says  of  one  of  them." 

"  We  are  quite  ready  to  listen  to  the  words  of  the  l for- 
eigner '  "  smiled  the  Professor.  "  What  does  he  say  of 
the  fair  maids  of  Hawaii  ?  " 

" '  On  leaving  the  shore-road  to  ascend  the  mountains 
for  Halawa,'  he  says,  '  I  met  just  such  a  specimen  as  has 
often  driven  men  mad,  and  whose  possession  has,  many  a 
time,  paved  the  way  to  the  subversion  of  empire  on  the 
part  of  monarchs.  She  was  rather  above  the  medium 
size  of  American  women.  Her  finely  chiseled  chin,  nose, 
and  forehead  were  singularly  Grecian.  Her  beautifully 
moulded  neck  and  shoulders  looked  as  though  they  might 
have  been  borrowed  from  Juno.  The  development  of  her 
entire  form  was  as  perfect  as  nature  could  make  it.  She 
was  arrayed  in  a  single  loose  robe,  beneath  which  a  pretty 
little  nude  foot  was  just  peeping  out.  Her  hair  and  eye- 
brows were  as  glossy  as  a  raven's  wing.  Around  her 
head  was  carelessly  twined  a  wreath  of  the  beautiful  na- 
tive oJielo  flowers  (GrualtJieria^penduliflorum).  Her  lips 
seemed  fragrant  with  the  odor  of  countless  and  untiring 


618  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

kisses.  Her  complexion  was  much  fairer  than  the  fairest 
of  her  countrywomen,  and  I  was  forced  into  the  conclu- 
sion that  she  was  the  off-shoot  of  some  white  father  who 
had  trampled  on  the  seventh  precept  in  the  Decalogue,  or 
taken  to  his  embrace,  by  the  marriage  relation,  some 
good-looking  Hawaiian  woman.  But  her  eyes !  I  never 
shall  forget  those  eyes !  They  retained  something  that 
spoke  of  an  affection  so  deep,  a  spiritual  existence  so  in- 
tense, a  dreamy  enchantment  so  inexpressibly  beautiful, 
that  they  reminded  one  of  the  beautiful  Greek  girl, 
Myrrha,  in  Byron's  tragedy  of  "  Sardanapalus,"  whose 
love  clung  to  the  old  monarch  when  the  flame  of  the 
funeral  pile  formed  their  winding-sheet. 

" '  In  no  former  period  of  my  life  had  I  ever  raised  my 
hat  in  the  presence  of  beauty ;  but  at  this  moment,  and 
in  such  a  presence,  I  took  it  off.  I  was  entirely  fasci- 
nated, charmed,  spell-bound  now.  I  stopped  my  horse ; 
and  there  I  sat  to  take  a  fuller  glance  at  the  fair  reality. 
And  the  girl  stopped,  and  returned  the  glance,  while  a  smile 
parted  her  lips,  and  partially  revealed  a  set  of  teeth  as  white  • 
as  snow,  and  of  matchless  perfection.  I  felt  that  smile  to 
be  an  unsafe  atmosphere  for  the  nerves  of  a  bachelor ;  so 
I  bowed,  replaced  my  hat,  and  passed  on  my  way,  feeling 
fully  assured  that  nothing  but  the  chisel  of  Praxiteles 
could  have  copied  her  exquisite  charms.  And  as  I  gen- 
tly moved  past  her,  she  exclaimed,  in  the  vocabulary  of 
her  country,  "  Love  to  you." '  There,  what  do  you  think 
of  that  for  a  pen  picture  ?" 

"  Rather  overdrawn,  I  fear,"  smiled  the  Captain, 
skeptically. 

"  And  you  have  disappointed  us,  too,"  said  Chester. 
"  I  thought  we  were  to  hear  about  a  full-blooded  Hawaiian 
girl ;  but  it  seems  this  one  was  a  half-breed." 

"  Pshaw  !  "  exclaimed  Eugene,  impatiently,  "  there  was 
no  good  reason  for  the  surmise  that  the  girl  who  iin- 


HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.  619 

pressed  him  so  deeply  was  a  half-breed ;  because,  as  the 
Professor  has  already  told  us,  and,  for  that  matter,  as  we 
know  well  enough  from  our  own  observation,  the  natives 
of  the  better  class  are  much  fairer  than  those  of  lower 
rank,  and  are  scarcely  so  dark  as  the  white  people  of  our 
southern  States." 

"  Well,  we  '11  agree  that  she  was  a  full-blooded  native. 
And  now,  Professor,  about  their  dress." 

"The  dress  of  the  Hawaiian  women,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Tahitians,  though, 
in  some  districts,  it  is  more  like  that  of  the  Tongans, 
when  it  consists  essentially  of  a  wrapper  of  bark  cloth 
passing  round  the  waist  and  falling  below  the  knees.  It 
is  often  arranged  so  that  the  end  may  be  thrown  over  the 
shoulders,  and  many  of  the  better  class  of  women  have  a 
separate  piece  of  cloth  which  is  used  as  a  mantle.  When 
young,  as  in  the  Tonga  and  other  groups,  they  wear  no 
clothing  at  all." 

"  Are  they  fond  of  ornaments  ?  " 

"  Yes,  though  they  never  perforate  their  ears,  nor  even 
think  of  wearing  trinkets  in  them.  They  have  a  sort  of 
necklace  made  of  black  cord,  doubled  many  times,  and 
supporting  some  trifle  made  of  wood,  shell,  or  bone.  They 
also  wear  necklaces  of  small  shells  strung  together,  and 
very  pretty  ones  made  of  dried  flowers.  Bracelets,  too, 
of  various  kinds,  are  highly  valued  by  them,  and  are  worn 
with  great  satisfaction." 

"  They  are  fond  of  pets,  of  course  ? "  suggested  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  like  many  of  the  other  Polynesians,  they  have 
an  absurd  liking  for  pigs  and  dogs,  carrying  them  about 
and  feeding  them  when  young,  as  if  they  were  children. 
Even  when  the  animals  have  attained  their  full  growth, 
they  are  petted  to  a  wonderful  degree.  Eugene's  friend, 
the  '  HaoleY  gives  an  amusing  example  of  the  extreme 
tenderness  with  which  the  Hawaiian  girls  regard  these 


620  HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 

animals.  He  was  making  an  excursion  through  one  of 
the  islands,  when  he  observed  a  group  of  girls  sitting  in 
the  shade  of  a  pandanus  tree,  surrounding  something  in 
which  they  seemed  greatly  interested.  On  drawing  near, 
he  found  that  the  object  of  their  attention  was  an  enor- 
mous hog.  The  girls  were  taking  it  to  market,  a  task 
which  usually  devolves  upon  them,  and  had  to  drive  the 
animal  for  a  considerable  distance  over  lofty  mountains, 
an  undertaking  which  could  not  occupy  them  less  than 
thirty-six  hours.  To  produce  the  hog  in  good  condition 
was  evidently  their  principal  object,  and  they  would  there- 
fore hurry  it  as  little  as  possible,  coax  it  along,  rather 
than  drive  it,  by  day,  and  sleep  by  its  side  at  night.  It 
so  happened  that  the  day  was  an  extremely  warm  one, 
and  the  hog,  which  was  in  very  good  condition,  was  op- 
pressed with  its  own  fat,  with  the  heat  and  the  fatigue  of 
the  journey.  Accordingly,  the  girls  had  led  their  charge 
to  a  shady  spot,  taken  off  the'r  own  garments,  soaked 
them  in  water,  and  spread  them  over  the  panting  animal, 
which  uttered  occasional  grunts  of  satisfaction  at  the 
coolness  caused  by  the  wet  clothes,  and  the  continual  fan- 
ning which  the  girls  kept  up  with  broad  leaves." 

"  The  women  are  industrious  and  hospitable,  I  have 
heard,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  they  do  their  share  of  the  work,  and  are  kind  to 
strangers.  The  cooking,  for  instance,  is  entirely  their 
business,  and  they  are  as  great  adepts  at  procuring  as  at 
cooking  food.  For  example,  if  a  stranger  should  call  at 
the  house  of  a  native,  the  wife  is  sure  to  come  out,  pass 
her  hand  over  him,  and  inquire  whether  he  is  hungry. 
Should  he  reply  in  the  affirmative,  she,  or  perhaps  her 
daughter,  runs  out  to  one  of  the  fish-ponds,  launches  a 
small  canoe,  and,  in  a  very  short  space  of  time,  has 
caught  some  fish,  broiled  them,  cooked  some  taro,  and 
laid  them  on  plantain  leaves  before  the  guest." 


HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 


621 


"  I  have  read  of  their  fish-ponds,"  said  Chester. 

"  They  are  very  common  in  Hawaii,"  returned  the  Pro- 


6AWAIIAN    GIRLS    AND    PIG. 


fessor,  "  and  are  mostly  made  by  the  women,  but  they 
are  usually  stocked  by  the  men." 


622  HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 

"  You  have  mentioned  poi  several  times,"  said  Eugene, 
"  and  I  know  it  is  a  sort  of  porridge ;  but  what  is  it 
made  of  ? " 

"  It  "is  made  of  a  root  called  kalo,  of  which  there  are 
several  species ;  but  I  cannot  fully  answer  your  question 
better  than  in  the  words  of  Cheever.  '  The  natives,'  he 
says,  '  do  not  allow  the  name  of  ai,  or  food,  to  anything 
but  kalo,  of  which  they  are  extravagantly  fond.  This 
root  is  the  arum  esculentum  of  botanists,  or  the  plant 
commonly  known  as  the  wild  Indian  turnip.  As  found 
and  cultivated  at  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  it  is  highly  nutri- 
tious, mealy,  and  wholesome.  It  is  of  two  kinds,  the  wet 
and  dry  kalo,  the  former  grown  always  under  water, 
which,  when  there  is  a  brook,  is  let  into  a  series  of  square 
beds  or  plats,  sunk  two  or  four  feet  below  their  borders, 
and  let  out  again  at  one  corner,  when  it  has  risen  so  as 
to  cover  all  the  plants,  thus  keeping  a  run  of  water  through 
all  the  patches.  It  is  estimated  that  forty  square  feet  so 
cultivated  will  support  a  man.  The  root  is  eleven  months 
gaining  its  full  size.  The  natives  then  pull  it,  cut  off  the 
tops,  and  reserve  them  for  planting,  and  bake  the  root  in 
stone  ovens  made  in  the  ground.  They  then  peel  it  with 
a  shell,  and  pound  it  with  a  stone  pestle  in  large,  flat, 
"wooden  trays,  that  may  correspond  to  the  kneading- 
troughs  of  the  ancient  Israelites  as  an  article  of  house- 
hold furniture. 

" '  If  it  is  to  be  kept  for  some  time  or  carried  away,  it 
is  then  done  up  very  neatly  in  bundles  of  forty  and  fifty 
pounds,  made  of  the  long  leaves  of  a  species  of  the  aloe, 
and  called  holoai.  If  to  be  immediately  used  for  food,  it 
is  mixed  with  a  little  water  in  a  calabash,  or  large  gourd, 
from  the  size  of  a  bushel  to  that  of  a  peck,  and  set  away 
to  ferment.  By  that  process  it  becomes  a  slightly  acid 
and  pasty  food,  of  a  bluish  white  color,  called  poi,  which 
no  Hawaiian  would  exchange  for  the  best  turtle  soup  or 


HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS.  623 

macaroni.  You  will  see  a  party  squatting  around  a  cala- 
bash, and  dipping  successively  their  forefingers  into  the 
pasty  mass,  and  then,  with  certain  dexterous  manoeuvres, 
which  a  Hawaiian  only  knows,  bring  the  poi-ladcn  finger 
to  a  junction  with  the  lips,  with  a  smack  of  hearty  satis- 
faction, such  as  no  gourmand  or  toper  could  equal  after  a 
dram  of  Rhenish  or  best  Madeira.'  "  * 

"  Do  foreigners  make  use  of  the  root  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  they  boil  or  bake  it,  like  a  potato." 

"  Well,  for  my  part,  I  think  I'd  like  to  sit  in  a  circle 
round  a  porridge-pot,  with  half  a  dozen  pretty  Hawaiian 
girls  for  companions,"  mused  Eugene. 

"  Does  n't  Cheever  rather  intimate  that  beauty  of  form 
and  feature,  as  well  as  high  physical  health,  among  the 
Hawaiians,  is  a  thing  of  the  past  ? "  asked  the  Captain. 

"  I  think  I  remember  the  passage  you  refer  to,"  replied 
the  Professor.  "  He  says,  '  The  human  constitution,  it  is 
evident,  had  attained  to  great  perfection  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and,  their  barbarism  and  sensuality  to  the  con- 
trary, notwithstanding,  there  was  high  physical  health 
and  beauty  before  it  was  poisoned  and  marred  by  the 
mixture  of  abandoned  foreigners,  and  the  fresh  provoca- 
tives to  profligacy  thereby  given.  The  reverse  is  now 
painfully  true,  for  disease  is  rife,  and  there  is  evidence  of 
fatal,  we  fear  irremediable,  detriment  having  been  done 
to  the  native  constitution.  Still,'  he  adds, '  the  physical 
aspect  of  Hawaiians,  as  a  race,  is  pleasing.' " 

"  You  see,  Eugene,"  said  the  Captain,  in  an  admonitory 
tone  "  you  must  not  set  your  expectations  too  high.  The 
Hawaiian  ladies  are  rather  dull,  at  the  best,  and  I  fear  it 
will  require  the  vivid  imagination  of  a  '  Haolc '  to  find  a 
beauty  such  as  he  describes." 

"  The  United  Service  does  n't  agree  with  you  at  all," 

*  See  illustration,  "  Hawaiian  Island  Women,"  page  615. 


624  HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 

observed  Chester,  quietly.  "  In  a  recent  number,  a  writer 
says  : 

"  '  The  Hawaiian  lady,  in  her  loose,  long  gown  (/zoZa&w), 
is  a  voluptuous,  good-humored,  merry-making  creature,  of 
a  fascinating  figure,  and  longing,  languishing,  admiration- 
seeking,  yet  demure  cast  of  face,  with  enviable  advan- 
tages in  the  line  of  lips,  teeth,  eyes,  hair,  form,  and  color ; 
for  the  chestnut  skin,  with  crimson  lustre  of  cheek,  is  by 
no  means  unbecoming  or  unattractive.  She  has  the  abil- 
ity and  inclination,  as  well  as  her  ruder  companion,  of 
descrying  the  laughable,  ludicrous  side  of  a  subject,  crack- 
ing a  sly  joke  thereat,  at  the  cost  of  creating  an  enemy  of 
her  own  sex  and  a  different  race  thereby.  With  Mongo- 
lian arrow  she  will  hit  the  queer  Caucasian.  She  must 
let  fly  that  little  pheasant-feathered  shaft,  not  lacking  in 
keen  satire  and  mischievous  point,  to  the  conscious  cha- 
grin and  furious  indignation  of  her  invitingly  vulnerable 
foreign  sister  (Haolc'),  who  shrewdly  suspects  that  the 
other  is  entirely  too  agreeable  in  the  sight  of  the  staring 
gentleman  who  accompanies  her  on  her  curious  or  chari- 
table tour  of  island  inspection.  European  education  has 
greatly  improved  and  instructed  the  gentler  sex  of  Ha- 
waii, no  doubt,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  has  sig- 
nally failed  to  curb  the  exuberance  of  their  spirits,  to 
tame  the  impetuosity  of  their  sentiment,  or  to  convert 
them  into  straight-laced  models  of  propriety,  they  whose 
natures  are  as  boisterous  as  the  bounding  billows  of  their 
sea-swept  reefs.  The  enjoyment  of  fun  and  frolic  is 
essential  to  their  happiness,  for  they  have  a  genuine  love 
of  the  bright  side  of  life.' " 

"  That  sounds  well,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "  and  I  am  in 
favor  of  giving,  the  writer  a  vote  of  thanks." 

"  Whatever  the  natives  are  to-day,"  said  Chester,  "  I 
suppose  there  is  no  doubt  that  at  one  time  they  were  a 
superior  people.  I  wish  it  were  possible  to  know  their 
history." 


HAWAIIAN    ISLAM  is. 


625 


"  I  fear  it  is  not  possible,"  rejoined  the  Professor ;  "but 
we  can.  get  a  hint  of  it  in  their  ancient  weapons,  tools, 
and  articles  of  dress.  Some  of  their  weapons  you  may 
have  seen  in  the  collection  of  the  Historical  Society  at 
New  Haven ;  but  an  article  which  to  me  has  been.  a.source 
of  much  speculation  is  the  head-dress  of  the  chiefs.  It  is 
of  so  graceful  and  classical  a  form  as  absolutely  to  startle 
the  spectator.  It  is  a  helmet  made  of  wicker-work  and 
covered  with  feathers,  the  shape  being  exactly  that  of  the 
ancient  Grecian 
helmet,  even  to  the 
elevated  crest 
which  runs  over 
the  top.  It  was 
not  intended  as  a 
protection  for  the 
head,  the  material 
being  too  fragile 
for  such  a  pur- 
pose, but  simply 
as  a  mark  of  rank 
and  wealth.  Usu- 
ally they  were  cov- 
ered with  scarlet 
and  yellow  feath- 
ers, disposed  in 
bold  bands  or 
belts,  and  the 
wealth  of  the 
wearer  might  be  known  by  the  proportion  which  the  yel- 
low and  scarlet  feathers  bore  to  each  other." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  one  of  those 
helmets  and  many  other  curiosities,"  said  Chester. 

"  There 's  one  thing  I  look  forward  to  with  a  great 
deal  of  interest,"  observed  Eugene,  after  a  moment's 
pause,  "  and  that  is  the  sight  of  a  volcano  in  action." 


HELMET. 


626  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  Kilauea,  I  suppose  ? "  said  his 
brother. 

"  Of  course,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Then  I  fear  you  will  be  disappointed." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Eugene,  quickly. 

"  Kilauea  has  become  extinct." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.     The  thing 's  impossible." 

"  Read  that,  then.  I  clipped  it  from  a  newspaper  the 
consul  at  Fiji  gave  me." 

Eugene  took  the  clipping,  and  read : 

" '  Recent  advices  from  the  'Hawaiian  Islands  to  the 
effect  that  there  "was  no  more  fire  in  the  crater  of  Kil- 
auea,*if  true,  means  that  the 'largest  active  volcano  on  the 
planet  has  been  snuffed  out.  The  new  lake  of  molten  lava  of 
Hale-mau-mau,  which  is  mentioned  as  having  disappeared, 
has  not  been  in -existence  many  years,  and  the  period  of 
volcanic  activity  and  earthquakes  which  accompanied  its 
formation  immediately  preceded  the  last  great  eruption 
from  the  neighboring  crater  on  the  summit  of  Mauna  Loa 
in  November  of  1880. 

.""The  island  of  Hawaii,  which  is  the  southmost  of  the 
Hawaiian  group,  is  in  the  form  of  two  great  twin  peaks, 
Mauna  Loa  and  Mauna  Kea,  each  of  which  rises  to  an 
elevation  of  nearly  14,000  feet.  On  the  summit  of  Mauna 
Loa  is  a  crater  which  is  intermittently  active.  On  the 
slope  of  Mauna  Loa  is  the  crater  of  Kilauea  (Lake 
of  Fire),  which  is  .referred  to  in  the  dispatch.  Kil- 
auea is  unique  among  the  volcanoes  of  the  world.  It 
is  situated  in  a  great  pit  in  the  side  of  Mauna  Loa, 
1,200  feet  deep  and  three -miles  in  diameter,  the  walls 
of  which  are  almost  perpendicular,  so  that  they  can 
only  be  descended  where  zigzag  pathways  have  been 
made.  The  lakes  of  fire  which  make  up  the  volcano  of 
Kihiuea  are  in  the  southern  end  of  the  pit.  There  is  at 
all  times  more  or  less  volcanic  activity  in  these  pits,  and 


HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS.  627 

they  are  constantly  changing  in  form  and  position.  In 
the  ordinary  condition  of  the  volcano,  people  can  descend 
the  sides  of  the  great  pit,  and  walk  over  the  floor  to  the 
lakes.  The  floor  is  black  as  coal,  and  so  hot  that  it 
scorches  shoe  leather.  There  are  great  seams  in  it  at 
intervals,  from  which  issue  steam  and  sulphurous  smoke. 

" '  The  shores  of  the  lakes  themselves  are  high  and  steep. 
One  can  go  close  to  the  edge  on  the  windward  side,  and, 
by  holding  a  hat  in  front  of  the  face,  or  wearing  a  mask, 
peep  over  at  the  infernal '  bubbling  which  is  going  on  in 
the  abyss.  The  surface  of  the  lakes,  when  quiet,  is  cov- 
ered with  a  thin  "layer  of  black,  newly  hardened  lava. 
The  surface  is  never  quiet  long,  nor  over  its  whole  extent. 
A  pulsating  mound  makes  its  appearance  at  some  point, 
and  swells  by  slow  degrees,  until  cracks  appear  running 
from  the  apex.  The  fiery  molten  lava  appears  welling 
up  through  these  cracks ;  the  layer  over  the  surface 
breaks  into  great  cakes,  and,  tilting  on  edge,  these  cakes 
disappear  and  are  swallowed  up  by  the  red  liquid  under- 
neath, which  boils  and  bubbles  and  sputters  in  the  vent 
it  has  found,  throwing  up  spray,  which  is  caught  by  the 
wind,  and  spun  out  as  fine  as  silk.  In  this  condition  it  is 
found  in  crevices  of  the  lava  on  the  banks,  looking  much 
like  bunches  of  blond  hair.  The  native  Hawaiians  term 
this  stuff  Pole's  hair,  Pele  being  the  goddess  supposed  to 
inhabit  this  Hale-mau-mau  (House  of  Everlasting  Fire). 
Natives  who  visit  the  spot  throw  coins  or  edibles  into  the 
lake  to  appease  the  wrath  -of  the  goddess.  The  high 
banks  of  the  lakes  are  constantly  breaking  off  in  great 
masses,  and  being  swallowed  up  in  the  seething  cauldron 
below.  In  periods  of  great  activity  the  surface  of  the 
lakes  rises  and  sojnetimes  overflows  the  banks,  when  a 
long  stream  of  lava  creeps  over  the  floor  of  the  great  pit, 
disposing  itself  in  smooth  folds,  like  giant  taffy. 

"'Kilauea  is  4,000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  is 


628  HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 

about  twenty  miles  from  the  crater  on  the  summit  of 
Mauna  Loa,  which  is  over  9,000  feet  higher.  Yet  there 
seems  to  be  some  connection  between  the  summit  crater 
and  the  vent  in  the  side  of  the  mountain.  During  the 
summer  months  of  1880  there  was  great  activity  in 
Kilauea,  and  several  severe  earthquakes  on  the  island  of 
Hawaii.  The  new  fire  lake  of  Hale-mau-mau,  which  the 
telegraph  says  has  disappeared,  made  its  appearance  dur- 
ing this  period.  One  night  in  November  of  that  year  an 
eruption  broke  out  on  the  summit  of  Mauna  Loa  with  a 
loud  explosion,  and  the  streams  of  lava  came  pouring 
down  the  mountain  side  in  floods.  The  country  through 
which  it  came  was  wild,  an  impenetrable  tropical  forest. 
In  the  first  nights  after  the  eruption  broke  out,  the  stream 
could  be  seen  from  far  out  at  sea,  looking  like  a  fiery  ser- 
pent lying  on  the  mountain  side.  As  the  months  went 
on,  the  upper  pkrt  of  the  stream  cooled  on  the  surface 
and  crusted  over,  serving  as  a  conduit  to  carry  the  liquid 
to  the  terminus  of  the  flow,  where  it  broke  out  and  pushed 
its  way  more  slowly.  The  flow  of  lava  continued  into 
the  summer  of  1881,  when  it  stopped  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  little  tropical  town  of  Hilo,  having  eaten 
its  way  sixty  miles  through  the  forest,  which  was  utterly 
swallowed  up  in  its  path.  No  such  flow  of  lava  had  come 
from  Mauna  Loa  since  the  great  flow  of  1859,  which 
reached  the  sea.  Two  eruptions  so  closely  following  as 
that  of  1880  and  the  one  which  seems  to  lie  foretold  by 
the  phenomena  in  Kilauea  wrould  be  unprecedented.' " 

"  That  gives  one  a  very  good  idea  of  Kilauea,"  remarked 
the  Captain;  "but  I  should  think  the  people  who  live  in 
the  vicinity  of  those  restless  mountains  would  feel  any- 
thing but  comfortable  just  now." 

"They  live  in  a  state  of  extreme  anxiety,"  returned 
the  Professor ;  "  for  there  is  no  telling  what  may  happen 
next.  The  lakes  of  fire  have  disappeared,  but  the  people 


HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.  631 

know  better  than  to  be  satisfied.  They  are  looking  for  a 
severe  eruption  from  the  volcano  on  the  summit  of 
Manna  Loa ;  for  in  all  cases  of  sudden  cessation  in  active 
craters,  the  presumption  is  in  favor  of  a  fresh  outburst 
somewhere  else ;  but  it  is  as  likely  to  occur  at  a  distance 
as  in  the  vicinity." 

"Well,  then,"  exclaimed  Eugene,  "if  we  don't  see 
Kilauea  in  action,  we  may  see  an  eruption  from  Mauna 
Loa." 

"  Or  possibly  one  in  Japan,  if  your  eccentric  uncle  leads 
us  there,"  laughed  the  Captain. 

"  All  right,"  rejoined  Eugene,  "  that  would  suit  me 
quite  as  well." 

"  There  came  near  being  a  fearful  tragedy  when  the 
fiery  lake  of  Kilauea  disappeared,"  said  Chester,  presently. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  his  brother. 

"  It  seems  that  a  party  from  Australia,  wishing  to  see 
the  eruption,  descended  at  night  into  the  crater,  and 
walked  a  distance  of  three  miles  over  lava,  until  they 
reached  the  burning  lake.  This  was  very  active,  and 
they  sat  for  hours  on  the  brink,  watching  the  great  sea 
of  fire,  which  was  three  miles  long  by  one  and  a  half 
miles  wide.  The  waves  of  fire  were  running  very  high, 
often  one  hundred  feet,  while  eruptions  were  of  frequent 
occurrence,  throwing  molten  lava  into  the  air  hundreds 
of  feet  high,  with  a  noise  that  was  deafening.  At  length 
they  retired,  and  a  few  hours  later,  this  entire  lava  area, 
including  miles  around  the  lake,  the  very  spot  where  they 
had  sat  down  and  passed  hours,  and  the  three  miles  of 
pathway  across  the  lava  beds  upon  which  they  walked, 
was  completely  destroyed,  the  whole  having  fallen  in,  and 
leaving  an  open  crater,  miles  in  extent,  and  apparently 
fathomless.  This  was  followed  by  forty-three  distinct 
shocks  of  earthquake,  lasting  for  a  period  of  fourteen 
hours." 


632  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

"  That  was  a  narrow  escape,"  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"Yes,  and  as  one  of  the  party  says,  'they  will  all  re- 
member for  the  rest  of  their  days  how  near  they  came  to 
a  journey  to  the  center  of  the  earth.'  " 

"  I  don't  believe  I  care  so  much  about  volcanoes  as  I 
did,"  said  Eugene,  with  a  shudder.  "  Please  tell  us 
something  about  Honolulu,  Professor." 

"  I  don't  know  that  there  is  much  about  the  town  to 
interest  you,"  replied  the  Professor.  "  It  is  situated  on 
Oahu,  the  fourth  island  in  size,  and  contains,  perhaps, 
18,000  or  20,000  inhabitants.  It  covers  the  lower  portion 
of  Nuuanu  valley,  and  extends  over  the  raised  coral  reef 
at  the  base  of  the  lofty  mountains  for  several  miles.  The 
houses  are,  for  the  most  part,  built  of  wood,  though  there 
are  many  of  adobe,  and  a  few  constructed  of  coral  blocks. 
They  are  seldom  more  than  two  stories  high,  with  broad 
verandas,  and  are  mostly  surrounded  with  trees.  The 
city  is  the  residence  of  the  king  and  his  government,  and 
the  center  of  the  chief  interests  of  the  islands.  There 
are  several  public  buildings,  including  the  parliament 
house  and  the  palace,  which  is  built  of  coral.  There  are 
six  or  seven  churches,  two  hospitals,  an  academy,  and 
numerous  schools.  The  climate  of  the  city  and  vicinity 
is  remarkably  mild  and  uniform,  and  the  scenery  in  the 
neighborhood,  as  at  Waikiki,  where  there  are  extensive 
cocoa  and  palm  groves,  and  in  the  beautiful  valleys  of 
Nuuanu  and  Manoa,  verdant  with  patches  of  Jcalo  and 
other  vegetation,  is  of  the  most  charming  tropical 
character." 

"  You  have  n't  said  anything  about  the  fish  markets," 
suggested  Chester. 

"  Because  I  know  very  little  about  them,"  returned  the 
Professor.  "  Perhaps  you  can  give  us  some  information 
on  that  head." 

"  Well,  here  is  a  vivid  picture  from  the  United  Service, 
which,  I  think,  is  worthy  of  your  attention. 


HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS.  635 

" '  A  visit,'  says  the  writer,  *  to  the  fish  market  of  Hono- 
lulu on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  winter  or  summer  (for 
there  are  no  seasons  here,  remember),  is  a  sight  seldom 
elsewhere  to  be  met.  Situated  on  the  street  lying  beside 
the  still  surface  of  the  bay,  it  seems  as  if  the  fish  had 
only  to  be  angled  for  with  the  fingers  from  the  piers  in 
order  to  be  caught,  cleaned,  sold,  cooked,  and  eaten. 
Every  variety  of  fin  afloat  is  to  be  seen  in  this  market, 
preeminently  the  nutritious  mullet.  Fish-wives,  fish-hus- 
bands, and  fish-children  barter  the  scaly  merchandise 
from  stalls  or  counters  covered  with  fish  and  specie.  No- 
where else  that  I  know  of  could  vendors  leave  in  parallel 
piles  upon  their  tables  with  impunity  gold  and  silver 
coins,  often  amounting  to  scores  of  dollars.  A  good  deal 
of  chatting,  joking,  and  bargaining  accompany  proceed- 
ings in  this  place  of  trade,  the  picturesque  natives  prepon- 
derating, both  as  buyers  and  sellers,  while  all  around  is 
life,  noise,  flutter,  and  business  eagerness.  The  scene 
reminds  one  of  the  Neapolitan  fish  market  in  the  square, 
where  Masaniello  organized  his  popular  uprising  and  rev- 
olutionary revolt  —  that  bold  fisherman,  king  of  but  three 
days'  reign.  Fish  is  a  favorite  food  of  the  Hawaiian  at 
all  times,  which,  with  a  bowl  of  poi,  makes  up  his  usual 
meal.  Shell-fish,  shrimp  especially,  are  sold  for  salads 
a  la  mayonnaise,  but  there  is  no  native  edible  oyster. 
The  oyster  of  the  Pacific,  anywhere  I  have  ever  been, 
even  on  our  California  coast,  in  nowise  equals  our  Atlan- 
tic Blue  Points,  Chesapcakes,  or  East  River  bivalves, 
either  as  regards  size,  flavor,  or  subsequent  epicurean 
satisfaction.' " 

"That's  about  it,"  said  the  Captain,  approvingly. 
"  That  gives  you  a  very  good  idea  of  what  you  will  see  in 
Honolulu." 

"  I  wish  we  were  there  now,"  exclaimed  Eugene, 
impatiently. 


636  HAWAIIAN    ISLANDS. 

"  All  in  good  time,  my  dear  fellow,"  said  the  Captain. 
"  The  Albatross  was  never  doing  better  than  she  is  on 
this  run." 

And,  in  truth,  even  before  Eugene  was  prepared  for  it, 
the  volcanic  peaks  of  Hawaii  became  visible  on  the  star- 
board quarter. 

A  little  later,  they  saw  Kahoolawe,  Molokini,  and 
Maui,  then  Lania,  on  the  port  quarter,  and  at  last  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Lahaina. 

Strictly  speaking,  there  is  no  harbor  here,  the  anchor- 
age being  merely  a  roadstead,  which  protects  the  ship- 
ping from  northerly  gales.  In  case  of  a  southeaster, 
however,  vessels  must  put  to  sea  or  be  driven  on  the  reef. 
They  found  many  ships  at  anchor,  and  among  them  the 
Captain  was  quick  to  single  out  the  Unrest. 

As  soon  as  the  anchor  was  down,  and  they  had  got  rid 
of  the  harbor-master,  they  paid  a  visit  to  the  other  yacht. 
They  found  Daniel  Kirby  in  charge.  He  did  not  seem 
in  the  least  surprised  or  disconcerted  at  sight  of  them. 
Captain  "  Thompson,"  he  said,  was  on  shore,  and  doubt- 
less could  be  found  at  his  agent's.  He  cheerfully  gave 
them  the  agent's  name,  and,  hurrying  into  their  boat, 
they  were  speedily  pulled  to  the  shore. 

The  town  of  Lahaina  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  level 
land  skirting  the  sea,  and  extends  along  the  shore  for  a 
distance  of  more  than  two  miles.  Back  from  the  water 
front  it  reaches  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  streets 
are  lined  with  shade-trees  on  either  side,  which,  in  the 
hot  weather,  afford  a  cool  and  pleasant  retreat.  The 
reef  extends  the  whole  length  of  the  town,  about  forty 
rods,  or  so,  from  shore,  and  but  for  a  small  opening  in  it 
boats  would  be  unable  to  land.  Just  in  front  of  the  land- 
ing is  a  large  fort,  built  of  coral  blocks,  yet  it  is  not  very 
formidable  in  its  appearance.  The  site,  however,  is  a 
most  excellent  one,  as  the  whole  shipping  lies  within  its 


HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.  637 

range.  The  main  street  runs  nearly  east  and  west,  and 
on  it  are  situated  the  stores,  offices,  and  most  of  the  resi- 
dences of  the  foreign  population. 

The  party  from  the  Albatross  soon  found  the  establish- 
ment .they  were  in  search  of,  and  the  agent  informed 
them  that  Captain  "  Thompson  "  had  only  just  left  him  — 
"  gone  to  the  hotel,"  he  said,  and  at  once  offered  to  accom- 
pany them  thither. 

The  hotel  was  a  large  and  commodious  building  on  the 
north  side  of  the  street,  the  front  commanding  a  view  of 
the  shipping,  and  the  sides  and  back  surrounded  by  a 
beautiful  grove,  altogether  as  lovely  a  spot  as  one  would 
wish  to  see.  On  entering,  almost  the  first  person  they 
saw  was  Lyman  Pierpont.  The  brothers  recognized  him 
at  once,  from  his  striking  resemblance  to  their  father. 
The  agent  was  about  to  introduce  them,  but  the  impetu- 
ous Eugene  was  too  quick  for  him. 

"  Ah !  we  have  found  you  at  last,  Uncle  Lyman,"  he 
exclaimed  ;  "  and  I  really  hope  you  are  not  sorry  to  see 
the  sons  of  your  brother  Leonard." 

"  Leonard's  sons ! "  repeated  Lyman  Pierpont,  gazing 
earnestly  at  first  one  and  then  the  other.  "  No,  indeed, 
I  am  not  sorry  to  see  you  —  far  from  it.  Come  into  the 
parlor,  and  let  us  get  acquainted." 

"  This  is  Professor  Singleton,  and  this  Captain  Brad- 
ford of  the  Albatross"  said  Chester,  presenting  their 
friends. 

"  I  have  heard  of  you  both,  gentlemen,"  smiled  Mr. 
Pierpont, "  and  am  very  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance." 

The  agent,  seeing  that  his  services  were  no  longer  re- 
quired, withdrew,  and  the  others  followed  Lyman  Pier- 
pont to  the  parlor.  When  they  were  seated,  he  abruptly 
said: 

"  Of  course,  gentlemen,  I  have  been  aware  that  you 
were  following  me  about  the  Pacific ;  but  I  have  been 


G38  HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS. 

laboring  under  a  serious  misapprehension,  and  so,  until 
now,  have  kept  out  of  your  way.  That  misapprehension 
has  at  last  been  removed,  and  I  wish  to  say  no  more 
about  it.  All  that  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  tell  you  is, 
that  I  am  quite  ready  to  meet  you  in  any  plan  thai  is  to 
benefit  the  old  university  at  home,  and  at  the  same  time 
adjust  our  own  family  affairs  in  accordance  with  my 
father's  last  wishes." 

This  speech  was  a  great  relief  to  all  his  hearers,  and, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  Eugene  exclaimed : 

"  But,  uncle,  we  are  not  going  to  let  you  fix  matters 
for  us,  and  then  quietly  slip  away  again.  Now  that  we 
have  found  you,  we  mean  to  keep  you  with  us  for  a  time, 
or  we  shall  go  with  you,  and  so  we  give  you  fair  warning." 

Lyman  Pierpont  looked  pleased. 

"  Your  father,  my  dear  boys,"  he  said,  "  was  my  favor- 
ite at  home,  and  I  am  glad  to  find  you  so  like  him.  If 
you  wish  it,  we  will  go  to  Honolulu  together,  where  the 
papers  you  want  can  be  properly  made  out,  and  then  for- 
warded to  the  family  lawyers,  or  to  Mr.  Worthington. 
Then,  if  I  sell  the  Unrest,  as  I  expect  to,  and  you  will 
take  me  to  Kauai  and  Niihau  for  a  day  or  so,  I  will 
accompany  you  home,  provided  you  will  go  by  way  of 
China  and  the  Indian  Ocean,  as  I  have  some  very  im- 
portant business  to  transact  at  Amoy  and  Hong  Kong." 

The  brothers  cast  anxious  glances  at  the  Captain.  He 
answered  them  by  saying : 

"  Mr.  Pierpont,  we  shall  be  too  glad  of  your  company 
to  hesitate  at  any  condition.  The  Albatross  shall  take 
you  wherever  you  please." 

"  Hurrah  ! "  shouted  Eugene,  throwing  his  hat  to  the 
ceiling,  and  catching  it  again.  "That's  settled,  thank 
goodness ! " 

"  Well,  then,"  smiled  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  that  being  set- 
tled, as  Eugene  says,  let  us  have  some  dinner;  and, 


HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.  G39 

meanwhile,  I  will  send  word  to  Kirby  to  take  the  Unrest 
to  Honolulu." 

"And  you  will  go  with  us  in  the  Albatross"*"  asked 
Eugene,  eagerly. 

"  Certainly." 

And  this  arrangement  was  carried  out.  The  Unrest 
started  for  Honolulu  within  an  hour,  and,  a  little  later, 
the  Albatross  followed  her.  On  the  passage  they  had  a 
magnificent  view  of  Molokai,  but  the  brothers  were 
greatly  disappointed  by  the  appearance  of  Oahu. 

They  were  five  days  at  Honolulu,  during  which  time 
the  Professor  and  the  brothers  saw  much  of  the  island. 
Meantime  the  Unrest  was  sold  at  a  good  profit  to  her 
owner,  and  then  the  Albatross  steamed  to  Kauai.  Here, 
and  at  the  neighboring  isles  of  Niihau  and  Lehua,  they 
were  detained  for  some  days  more,  when,  with  a  passing 
glimpse  of  Naula,  they  steamed  away  for  the  far-off  con- 
tinent of  Asia. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

MICRONESIA. 

FOR  some  days  the  Albatross  steamed  on  its  westward 
course  without  the  usual  gatherings  on  the  quarter- 
deck, the  Professor  being  busy  in  his  own  state-room,  and 
Lyman  Pierpont  having  many  private  matters  to  attend 
to.  But  at  length,  toward  the  close  of  a  sultry  day,  they 
were  all  in  their  old  places,  and  the  new-comer  was  pro- 
vided with  a  comfortable  seat  between  his  nephews. 

"  Uncle  Lyman,"  said  Eugene,  presently,  "  I  take  it  for 
granted  you  have  sailed  these  seas  before." 

"  Yes,  many  times,"  was  the  reply. 

"  There  are  not  many  islands  before  we  reach  the 
vicinity  of  the  Marshall  group  ?  " 

"  There  are  Mallon,  Wilson,  Johnson  or  Crane,  Ann 
Ete,  and  Isle  St.  Pedro  to  the  south,  and  Pollard,  Maur- 
elle,  and  Massachusetts  to  the  north." 

"  There  are  one  or  two  islands  just  north  of  the 
Marshalls?" 

"  Yes,  Pawson  Island  or  islands  and  Cornwallis." 

"  Can't  you  tell  us  a  little  something  about  the  Mar- 
shall group,  uncle  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  There  is  not  much  to  speak  of  outside  of  the  work  of 
the  missionaries,  and  the  fact  that  Germany  has  recently 
annexed  the  islands." 

"  Then  the  last  is  true  ?  "  asked  the  Captain,  quickly. 

"  I  was  recently  informed  on  good  authority,"  said  Mr. 
Pierpont,  "  that  an  agreement  had  been  effected  whereby 
Spain  retains  the  Carolines,  the  Marianas,  and  the  Palaos 

(640) 


MICRONESIA. 


641 


642  MICRONESIA. 

Islands,  while  Germany  acquires  the  Marshall  and  Gilbert 
groups." 

"  How  do  our  missionaries  feel  about  it  ?  " 

"  Dr.  Judson  Smith,  foreign  secretary  of  the  American 
Board,  says  the  only  detrimental  effect  resulting  from  the 
seizure  will  be  the  diversion  of  trade  from  the  United 
States  to  Germany." 

"  What  was  Germany's  excuse  for  seizing  the  islands  ?" 
asked  Eugene. 

"  The  rather  lame  one  that  there  are  two  German  trad- 
ing stations  on  two  of  the  Marshall  Islands.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  right,  however,  she  had  no  more  reason  for  taking 
them  than  she  has  for  taking  Samoa." 

"  No  doubt  it  is  a  case  of  might  making  right,"  ob- 
served Chester ;  "  but,  after  all,  it  is  better  to  have  Pro- 
testant Germany  to  deal  with  than  Catholic  Spain." 

"  That  is  exactly  what  Dr.  Smith  and  the  missionaries 
think,"  returned  his  uncle. 

"There  are  two  clusters  or  chains  of  the  Marshalls, 
are  there  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"Yes,  one  is  the  Ralick,  and  the  other  the  Radack 
chain.  The  whole  covers  quite  an  area,  the  outline  of 
the  archipelago  running  in  a  northwest  and  southeast 
direction.  The  population  is  about  14,000." 

"  I  suppose,  now  that  Germany  has  the  islands  in  her 
possession,  she  will  hold  on  to  them  ?  " 

"  Their  annexation  by  Germany  settles  the  status  of 
the  Marshalls  indefinitely,  for  they  arc  hardly  worth 
quarreling  over,  and  the  islanders  are  too  weak  to  make 
any  opposition  to  so  great  a  power." 

"They  are  not  a  bad-looking  people,  I  believe,"  said 
Chester. 

"  On  the  whole,  they  arc  a  rather  fine  race,"  returned 
his  uncle,  "  taller  than  the  generality  of  the  Caroline 
Islanders,  and  possessing  tolerably  good  features.  They 


MICRONESIA. 


643 


use  the  tattoo  with  some  profusion,  both  sexes  being  ad- 
dicted to  it.  They  are  better  clothed  than  many  Micro- 
nesians,  the  men  wearing  a  short  mat  round  their  waists, 


MARSHALL   ISLANDERS. 


and  the  women  being  clad  in  a  very  fine  and  neatly  made 
mat,  falling  nearly  to  the  feet.  The  hair  has  a  tendency 
to  curl,  and  is  worn  long  by  both  sexes.  Ear-rings  are  in 


644  MICRONESIA. 

great  request,  and  some  of  them  are  enormously  large. 
It  is  evident  to  me  that  the  present  inhabitants  are  not 
aborigines,  but  came  from  other  islands  at  no  very  remote 
period.  They  have  kept  up  the  nautical  spirit  to  which 
they  owe  their  presence  in  the  group,  and  make  long  voy- 
ages from  one  island  to  another.  Their  canoes  are  well 
made,  and  are  built  of  bread-fruit  wood." 

"  I  have  felt  a  great  interest  in  the  Caroline  Islands 
since  Bismarck's  attempt  to  gain  possession  of  them," 
remarked  the  Captain. 

"  They  form  a  very  extensive  archipelago,"  observed 
the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  they  occupy  a  consid- 
erable space  in  this  broad  ocean.  They  lie  between  the 
Philippines,  the  Ladrones,  the  Marshalls,  and  the  Papuan 
Islands.  They  consist  of  several  groups  or  clusters  spread 
out  from  west  to  east,  and  measuring,  between  those 
extremes,  about  2,000  miles,  while  from  north  to  south 
they  extend  for  a  distance  of  not  far  from  300  miles. 
Five  only  of  all  the  islands  are  high  ground,  namely : 
Kusaie,  Ponape",  Ruk  or  Hogolu,  Yap,  and  Pelew.  The 
inhabitants  are  undoubtedly  of  mixed  origin.  '  On  gome 
of  the  islands,'  says  Mr.  Logan, '  the  people  are  woolly- 
haired  ;  many  of  them  have  faces  decidedly  Chinese  or 
Japanese.  The  islands  are  much  more  widely  scattered 
than  those  of  the  Marshall  and  Gilbert  groups.  Hence, 
while  one  language  is  spoken  on  all  the  islands  of  each 
of  the  latter  groups,  we  already  know  of  six  different  lan- 
guages in  the  Caroline  archipelago ;  and  a  more  thorough 
exploration  of  the  western  portion  will  probably  reveal 
one  or  two  more. 

" '  In  these  islands  we  have  specimens  of  every  kind  of 
coral  reef.  Kusaie  has  a  fringing  reef,  only  here  and 
there  detached  from  the  shores.  Ponapd  has'  a  most 
beautiful  specimen  of  the  barrier  reef,  being  entirely 


MICRONESIA.  645 

encircled  by  one  which  is  separated  from  the  island  by 
from  two  to  eight  miles  of  water.  Through  this  reef 
there  are  several  passages,  and,  when  once  within,  the 
largest  vessels  might  sail  two-thirds  around  the  island  in 
the  calm  waters  of  the  lagoon.  At  Ruk,  also,  we  have 
the  barrier  reef,  nearly  two  hundred  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, while  the  island,  to  which  it  was  probably  once 
attached,  has  so  far  sunk  beneath  the  waves  that  only  the 
mountain-tops  are  left,  forming  numerous  islands,  from  a 
few  rods  to  five  or  six  miles  in  diameter.  Then  there 
are  the  atolls,  of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  sometimes  so  large 
that  one  cannot  see  across  from  one  side  to  the  other. 

" '  These  islands  lie  so  near  the  equator  that  the  days 
and  nights  are  of  nearly  equal  length  throughout  the 
year.  The  climate  is  equable,  the  variation  of  the  ther- 
mometer being  no  more  than  fifteen  degrees  Fahrenheit  - 
from  seventy-two  degrees  to  eighty-seven  degrees.  The 
rainfall  is  excessive,  yet  malarial  disorders  are  practically 
unknown. 

" '  In  the  palmy  days  of  the  whale  fishery,  the  harbors 
of  Ponape'  and  Ku'saie  were  much  frequented  by  whale- 
ships,  and  the  influence  upon  the  natives,  from  contact 
with  this  kind  of  civilization,  was  most  demoralizing. 
Not  a  few  runaway  sailors  and  others  made  their  homes 
among  the  natives,  and  vice,  intemperance,  and  licentious- 
ness ran  riot.' " 

"  Still  the  islands  have  been  pretty  thoroughly  Chris- 
tianized, have  they  not  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Kusaie  has  been  reclaimed,  but  there  is  still  left  a 
large  heathen  party  on  Ponape*.  For  ten  years  past, 
however,  natives  of  Ponape*  have  been  doing  missionary 
work  on  neighboring  islands." 

"  Opataia  and  his  wife,  Prjncess  Opatinia,  are  among 
these  native  missionaries,  I  believe,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  they  are  doing  a  noble  work  on  the  ^lortlock 
26* 


G46 


MICRONESIA. 


Islands.  Opataia  is  a  sincere,  honest  Christian,  and  his 
wife  has  long  been  an  efficient  teacher.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  King  Hezekiah,  born  while  he  was  a  bloody  chief- 
tain, and  was  one  of  the  earlier  ones,  with  him,  to  em- 
brace Christianity." 


PRINCESS   OPATINIA. 

"The  Mortlocks  are  not  a  very  important  cluster?" 
said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 

"They  lie  about  llnvt;  hundred  miles  southwestward 
from  Ponap6,  and  art;  a  subordinate  group  of  three  atolls. 
The  population  is  about  3,500." 

"Ruk  is  well  peopled?" 


MICRONESIA.  647 

"  The  inhabitants  of  Ruk  number  about  12,000.  They 
are  of  two  distinct  races,  and,  until  quite  recently,  were 
fierce  and  barbarous,  ever  at  war  among  themselves,  and 
merciless  toward  the  white  man.  But  that  is  all  changed 
now ;  the  missionaries,  within  the  past  few  years,  have 
accomplished  wonders  among  them.  Their  former  bad 
reputation  is  the  reason  why  so  little  has  been  known  of 
the  cluster,  which  is  really  one  of  the  most,  important  in 
size  in  the  Caroline  range.  The  houses  are  built  on  the 
summits  of  the  hills,  which,  in  itself,  is  an  evidence  of 
the  predatory  nature  of  the  people." 

"  There  are,  or  have  been,  about  as  many  governments 
in  the  Caroline  archipelago  as  there  are  groups  and 
islands,"  observed  Captain  Bradford,  after  a  moment's 
pause. 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Mr.  Pierpont.  "  There  are  proba- 
bly, even  now,  more  government  in  the  archipelago  than 
can  be  found  elsewhere  over  so  small  a  population.  Yap 
is,  or  has  been,  a  constitutional  kingdom,  divided  into 
sixty  odd  provinces,  each  locally  self-governing.  Kusaie 
is  an  absolute  monarchy.  Ponape"  is  an  oligarchy  ruled 
by  five  princes.  The  other  and  smaller  islands  are  des- 
potisms, constitutional  monarchies,  elective  principalities, 
republics,  communes,  and  so  on,  no  two  having  just  the 
same  form  of  government.  Of  all  the  islands,  perhaps 
Ponape*  is  the  most  prosperous." 

"  But  Yap  is  of  considerable  importance,"  said  the 
Captain. 

"  Yes,  in  both  a  political  and  commercial  sense,"  re- 
turned Mr.  Pierpont.  "  It  is  a  cluster  lying  betwecfn  the 
Matclotas  and  the  Mackenzies,  and  consists  of  three  prin- 
cipal islands,  thickly  inhabited  by  an  energetic  and  indus- 
trious people,  who  cultivate  large  quantities  of  yams  and 
sweet  potatoes,  tobacco,  and  some  of  the  tropical  fruits. 
Pigs  are  plentiful,  and  deer  and  goats  abound.  The  dress 


648  MICRONESIA. 

of  the  Yap  natives  is  somewhat  like  that  of  the  Pelew 
islanders.  Tattooing  is  practiced  among  them,  the  pat- 
terns and  figures  being  very  elaborate.  Yap  is  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  miles  from  the  Pelews,  which  group  the 
Yapites  visit  frequently,  for  the  sake  of  the  spar  which 
they  dig  there,  and  of  which  they  make  their  currency." 

"  I  see  there  is  a  little  group  or  cluster  called  Oulleai," 
said  Chester.  . 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  group  of  low  coral  islands,  almost  sur- 
rounded by  reefs.  The  natives  are  a  fine,  well-made 
race,  of  good  features,  light  in  color,  and  most  harmless 
and  inoffensive.  These  islands  at  one  time  have  been 
thickly  inhabited,  and  there  are  remains  of  piers,  walls, 
and  breakwaters,  similar  to  those  found  on  Kusaie  and 
some  of  the  Pelews.  The  dress  of  the  natives  consists  of 
a  species  of  fine  mat,  which  they  weave  from  the  fiber  of 
the  pandanues.  Cocoanuts  and  fish  constitute  their  prin- 
cipal food." 

"  The  Evalouks  are  also  low  and  of  coral  formation, 
are  they  not  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  Yes,"  returned  his  uncle, "  and  produce  only  cocoa- 
nuts.  The  natives,  whose  bodies  are  closely  tattooed  all 
over,  resemble  the  Oulleai  people,  and  dress  like  them. 
Then  the  Nougouras  are  a  small  group  of  low  coral  is- 
lands about  five  miles  in  breadth.  The  people  are  said 
to  be,  without  exception,  the  finest-looking  in  the  Caro- 
line archipelago.  There  are  only  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  inhabitants  in  the  group.  Of  these  people,  a  certain 
writer  says : 

" '  They  have  some  knowledge  of  the  division  of  time 
and  of  days  and  years.  They  also  have  a  form  of  reli- 
gion, and  a  temple  in  which  are  some  rude  carved  images. 
The  chief  priest  is  never  allowed  to  leave  his  house  except 
on  extraordinary  occasions.  The  number  of  rats  on  these 
islands  is  almost  beyond  belief,  and  they  arc  so  tame  that 


MICRONESIA. 


649 


when  people  are  eating  they  come  and  sit  round  them, 
waiting  for  any  morsels  that  may  fall.  The  houses  are 
built  without  sides,  being  merely  roofed,  and  the  supports 
are  carefully  smoothed  down  to  prevent  the  rats  climbing 
up  and  eating  provisions  which  are  stored  away  on  shelves 
above.  The  chief  personage  on  this  group  is  always  a 
woman,  and  the  honor  is  hereditary.*  He  mentions  the 
Greenwich  group,  which  lies  nearly  on  the  equator,  and 


CABOLINE   ISLANDERS. 

says :  '  It  consists  of  about  thirty  low  coral  islands,  on 
most  of  which  were  plenty  of  cocoanut,  palms,  and  bread- 
fruit trees.  The  people  appear  to  be  an  entirely  different 
race  to  any  hitherto  met  with,  the  men  being  well  built, 
but  shorter  than  most  of  the  other  Caroline  islanders. 
They  wear  their  hair  very  short,  use  no  description  of 
ornament  whatever,  and  are  not  tattooed.  The  women 
have  their  heads  shaved  close,  and  are  dressed  in  mats. 


650  MICRONESIA. 

which  they  wear  tied  around  their  waists.  More  consid- 
eration appears  to  be  shown  to  the  women  here  than  in 
most  of  the  Pacific  islands,  and  the  people  are  hospitable.' " 

"  The  Pelew  Islands  are  really  a  part  of  the  .Caroline 
archipelago,  are  they  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"They  are  so  classed  by  some  geographers,  while 
others  make  a  separate  group  of  them.  At  all  events, 
they  are  a  part  of  Micronesia,  to  which  all  the  islands  in 
this  region  belong." 

"  They  are  quite  an  interesting  group,  I  have  been  led 
to  believe,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

"  They  are,  indeed,"  assented  Mr.  Pierpont.  "  There 
are"  twenty-six  principal  islands,  nearly  encircled  by  a 
coral  reef,  and  they  cover  an  extent  of  about  one  hundred 
and  ten  by  thirty  miles.  Babelthuap,  the  largest,  is 
twenty-eight  miles  long  and  fourteen  broad,  and  contains  a 
mountain  so  high  that  the  whole  group  may  be  seen  from 
its  summit.  The  Rupak,  a  British  schooner,  paid  a  visit 
to  this  and  other  parts  of  Micronesia  some  time  since, 
and  a  paper,  written  by  Mr.  Skinner,  one  of  the  owners, 
and  from  which  I  have  before  quoted,  gives  an  interest- 
ing account  of  them.  The  writer,  according  to  the  Bos- 
ton Herald,  says : '  , 

" '  The  northern  part  of  the  Pclcw  Islands,  from  Corror 
upwards,  is  reported  as  moderately  high,  and  could,  with 
a  more  industrious  class  of  inhabitants,  be  made  very 
productive,  as  the  soil  is  extremely  fertile.  The  southern 
portion  of  the  group,  with  the  exception  of  the  Pelewlcw 
and  Ngour,  is  uninhabited.  The  islands  arc,  as  a  rule, 
small  and  of  basaltic  formation,  densely  covered  with 
hard-wood  trees,  the  cabbage  palm,  etc.  Breadfruit  and 
cocoanuts  are  plentiful  among  the  Pelewlew  people.  The 
Pclew  Islands  produce  tortoise  and  pearl  shell,  and  trop- 
ical fruits  grow  in  abundance.  Tobacco  of  a  superior 
quality  is  grown,  and  coffee  could  be  easily  cultivated. 


MICRONESIA.  651 

The  staple  food  of  the  natives  is  taro,  which  is  grown  in 
the  swampy  or  marshy  land,  and  the  tending  of  which 
falls  upon  the  women.  Figs  and  goats,  introduced  by 
British  war  ships  many  years  ago,  are  plentiful  in  most 
parts  of  the  group.  The  only  indigenous  animal  is  the 
rat.  Dogs  and  cats  are  found,  but  were  probably  intro- 
duced by  vessels  from  Manila,  which  came  there  to  trade 
formerly.  Two  kinds  of  snakes,  neither  of  which  is  venom- 
ous, are  found  here.  There  are  also  a  few  alligators,  but 
these  are  found  only  in  one  portion  of  a  large  island 
called  Babelthuap.  Green  pigeons  are  very  plentiful,  and 
a  small  species  of  the  flying  fox  is  found.  The  Pelew 
Islands  are  divided  into  several  districts,  each  of  which 
has  its  own  ruler  and  staff  of  chiefs  ;  but,  whatever  may 
have  been  the  case  in  former  times,  they  have  now  very 
little  authority.  The  succession  of  chiefs  docs  not  appear 
to  be  regulated  by  any  fixed  rule,  but  the  most  wealthy 
arc  found  to  attain  the  highest  positions.  There  are  cer- 
tain families  which  claim  to  be  noble,  but  their  nobility 
procures  them  no  privilege  beyond  the  bare  title,  and  they 
have  to  do  their  share  of  work  and  pay  their  proportion 
of  the  expenses  that  fall  upon  the  community  of  which 
they  are  members.  Polygamy  is  practiced,  but  to  a  small 
extent.  Should  a  man  have  more  than  one  wife,  separate 
establishments  are  kept  for  each.  The  Pelew  islanders 
have  but  a  vague  idea  of  a  future  state,  for  they  believe 
that  only  those  men  who  have  been  chiefs  will  be  admitted 
to  it.  Every  tribe  has  its  own  god,  to  whom  all  questions 
of  moment  are  referred,  the  medium  of  communication  in 
nearly  every  case  being  a  woman  known  as  the  "  Kalecth," 
or  god's  wife.  These  women,  by  a  rude  sort  of  ventrilo- 
quism, manage  to  deceive  the  people,  and  have  a  great 
deal  of  influence  in  their  councils.  The  natives  have  a 
currency  among  themselves  of  which  they  are  very  jeal- 
ous, and  foreigners  can  rarely  procure  specimens  of  it. 


MICRONESIA.  652 

ery,  great  license  being  allowed  on  such  occasions.  The 
men  all  wear  the  tappa,  or  loin  cloth,  common  to  the 
whole  of  the  Pacific  islands,  red  and  blue  cloth  being 
most  esteemed.  The  women  wear  a  kind  of  apron,  made 
of  various  leaves;  and  grasses,  principally  from  the  pan- 
danus  or  screw  pine,  dried  and  shredded  out.  Some  of 
the  principal  families  have  the  privilege  of  dyeing  the 
dresses  of  the  women  of  various  colors.  This  privilege 
is  much  esteemed,  and  encroachments  on  it  are  punished 
with  a  fine.  All  the  people  are  tattooed  on  the  hands, 
arms,  and  legs,  and  a  rude  system  of  heraldry  may  be 
traced  in  this  and  in  the  decoration  of  the  canoes  of  the 
chiefs  and  principal  people.  Wars,  so  called,  are  fre- 
quent, and  a  settled  enmity  exists  between  the  natives  of 
the  northern  and  southern  portions  of  the  group.  In 
former  times  the  spear  was  the  only  offensive  weapon, 
but  of  late  years  the  natives  have  been  supplied  wilh  fire- 
arms, and  generally  show  considerable  skill  in  (heir  use. 
The  Pelevvs  are  sparsely  inhabited  by  a  race  of  less  stattire 
than  the  other  Caroline  Islands,  with  the  exception  of  the 
islands  of  Yap,  which  have  become  celebrated  in  the  late 
controversy  between  Germany  and  Spain  as  the  scene  of 
the  act  of  taking  possession  by  Gorman  marines  on  be- 
half of  their  government.  The  Pelcws  are  also  darker  in 
color,  although  occasionally  some  of  light  color  are  found 
among  them,  principally  among  the  better  class.  The 
men  are  lazy,  and  do  little  else  than  fish,  leaving  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  taro  to  the  women;  and  it  is  noteworthy 
that  the  women  attached  to  the  "  big  houses "  are  not 
allowed  to  work  in  the  taro  grounds.  Great  care  is 
taken  of  the  children,  of  whom,  however,  there  are  very 
few.  At  the  age  of  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  the  people 
begin  to  look  old,  and  it  is  rare  to  find  man  or  woman 
above  the  age  of  fifty. 

" '  There  are  several  half-breeds  on  the  islands,  descend- 


653  MICRONESIA. 

It  consists  of  heads  of  various  descriptions,  and  of  which 
no  account  as  to  their  manufacture,  nor  of  the  origin  of 
the  material  of  which  they  are  composed  can  be  found, 
and  the  only  way  in  which  the  natives  account  for  them 
is  that  they  came  from  the  heavens.  The  most  probable 
conjecture  is  that  they  were  brought  by  the  Arabs,  who 
are  supposed  to  have  traded  with  the  islanders  in  days 
gone  by.  The  whole  of  the  Pacific  Islands,  we  are  told, 
are  being  gradually  depopulated.  In  the  Pelews,  the 
principal  cause  at  work  is  an  epidemic  which  takes  the 
form  of  a  species  of  influenza.  This,  or  a  modification  of 
it,  appears  from  time  to  time  throughout  the  Caroline 
group,  and  sometimes  attacks  the  Europeans  living  on 
the  islands.  In  the  Pelews  and  Uap  —  an  island  close  to 
the  Pelews,  and  known  as  Pillula  Kap  —  there  are  insti- 
tutions known  to  Europeans  as  "  big  houses,"  which  are 
also  potent  adjuncts  of  depopulation.  The  primary  object 
of  these  houses  is  to  keep  the  fighting  men  together  in 
the  event  of  an  attack  being  made  on  the  village  during 
the  night,  which  is  the  time  usually  chosen  by  these  peo- 
ple for  making  raids  upon  each  other.  They  are,  how- 
ever, merely  brothels,  the  inmates  being,  as  a  rule,  those 
taken  prisoners  in  the  wars,  those  hired  from  other  towns, 
and  women  who  have  left  their  husbands.  There  are 
many  customs  regulating  these  houses  and  their  inmates 
which  are  unintelligible  to  Europeans,  and  on  occasions 
all  women,  even  of  the  highest  class,  have  to  spend  some 
time  in  them.  As  a  natural  consequence,  there  are  but 
few  people  married.  Of  the  married  women,  it  may  be 
safely  said  that  not  two  in  five  bear  children.  Two  or 
three  children  are  considered  a  large  family.  In  com- 
mon with  most  Pacific  islanders,  these  people  have  sol- 
emn dances,  generally  at  the  conclusion  of  a  war  or 
feasts ;  and  there  are  also  dances  in  which  women  alone 
perform,  but  they  are  rare,  and  usually  scenes  of  debauch- 


654  MICRONESIA. 

ants  of  European  sailors  and  others,  who  have  taken  up 
their  abode  thereon.  There  are  also  descendants  of  white 
women  and  natives  on  the  group,  though  no  accounts  of 
how  the  women  got  there  are  extant ;  hut  as  the  natives 
are  known  to  have  attacked  several  ships  about  sixty 
or  seventy  years  ago,  the  women  were  probably  taken 
from  some  captured  vessel.  The  villages  are,  almost 
without  exception,  built  at  a  short  distance  from  the  sea, 
the  houses  being  neatly  constructed  some  two  or  three 
feet  from  the  ground,  the  roofs  of  which  are  thatched 
with  grass  and  the  leaves  of  the  pandanus.  In  front  of 
each  house  arc  seen  the  graves  of  deceased  members  of 
the  family.  The.  houses  go  with  the  titles,  each  chief  in 
succession-  occupying  the  residence  of  his  predecessor. 
In  the  center  of  the  villages  there  are  paved  squares  in 
which  consultations  take  place  and  dances  are  performed. 
There  are  paved  roads  through  every  village  of  the  group, 
and  when  repairs  are  needed  they  are  done  by  the  com- 
munity, any  person  absenting  himself  being  fined.  In 
front  of  every  village  of  importance  are  large  sea  walls 
or  piers  built  out  on  to  the  reefs,  and  some  of  these  arc 
apparently  very  ancient.  That  at  Corror,  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  towns,  is  very  substantially  built  of  stone 
and  coral,  and  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long.  The 
"'big  houses"  are  substantially  built  of  hardwood,  and 
well  thatched,  and  are  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  long, 
and  from  twelve  to  fifteen  wide.  In  these  buildings  the 
cross-beams  and  supports  are  rudely  carved  in  relief, 
which  carvings  record  the  history  of  the  people,  and  pur- 
port to  chronicle  any  remarkable  occurrence ;  but  there 
are,  however,  but  few  of  the  natives  who  can  explain 
them.  The  language  of  the  Pelews  is  idiomatic  and  ap- 
parently difficult  of  acquirement  by  Europeans.  A  suffi- 
cient knowledge  for  trading  purposes  is,  however,  soon 
obtained. 


MICRONESIA. 


655 


" '  The   Matelotas,'   he   goes  on  to  say,  *  are  a  group 
of  islands  to  the  eastward  and  northward  of  the  Pelews, 


but  to  the  southward  of  Yap.     They  are  also  known  as 
the  Gulus,  and  are  inhabited  by  a  few  light-complexioned 


656  MICEONESIA. 

people  resembling  the  other  Caroline  Islanders.  This 
and  the  Mackenzie  group  were  all  but  swept  away  some 
sixteen  or  seventeen  years*  ago  by  a  severe  cyclone,  which 
destroyed  nearly  the  whole  of  the  cocoanut  palms,  the 
fruit  of  which,  with  fish,  is  the  only  food  of  the  natives. 
The  Mackenzie  group  is  sparsely  peopled  by  a  light-col- 
ored race.  On  one  of  these  islands  the  Jesuit  father, 
Cantova,  was  killed,  and  the  few  natives  remaining  still 
look  for  his  return,  thinking  he  will  restore  the  islands 
to  their  original  state.'  " 

"  That  description  gives  one  a  very  good  idea  of  the 
people  of  Micronesia,"  said  the  Professor,  approvingly. 

"  They  are  a  strange  lot,"  mused  Eugene.  Then,  sud- 
denly :  "*Uncle,-did  you  ever  visit  the  Solomon  Islands  ?" 

"  Yes,  on  one  occasion,"  was  the  reply. 

"  We  have  heard  some  fearful  stories  about  the  island- 
ers ;  and  yet,  I  am  told,  their  architecture  is  very  good." 

"  In  Makira  Bay,  Christoval  Isles,"  rejoined  Mr.  Pier- 
porit,  "  I  saw  some  very  ingenious  houses  which  the  na- 
tives had  built  for  the  protection  of  their  canoes.  These 
houses  arc  capable  of  accommodating  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  the  beautifully  carved  craft,  and  are  elaborately 
adorned,  after  the  native  fashion,  with  idols,  human 
skulls,  tufts  of  feathers,  and  similar  ornaments." 

"  The  Lad  rones  have  been  in  the  possession  of  Spain 
for  a  great  many  years,"  remarked  Chester,  after  a  pause. 

"  Yes,"  said  his  uncle,  "  for  more  than  two  centuries." 

"•They  were -discovered  by  Magellan?" 

"Yes,  shortly  before  his  death  in  1521,  and  he  named 
them  Ladroncs,  from  the  thievish  disposition  of  their 
inhabitants." 

"Is  it-an  important  group?"  asked  Eugene. 

"There  are  some  twenty-odd  islands,"  replied  Mr. 
Pierpont, "  and  the  population  is  between  10,000  and 
12,000." 


MICRONESIA. 


657 


"  I  thought  it  was  much  greater." 
"  When  the    Spanish   missionaries   established   them- 
selves on  the  islands,  toward  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 


century,  the  natives  numbered  more  than  40,000 ;  but 
they  have  totally  disappeared,  and  the  present  inhabitants 
are  mostly  the  descendants  of  settlers  from  Mexico  and 


658  MICRONESIA. 

the  Philippines,  very  few  Spaniards,  even,  remaining. 
The  islands  are  of  volcanic  formation,  extremely  rugged, 
and  in  some  places  barren  and  waste.  In  the  fertile 
parts,  however,  they  produce  cotton,  sugar,  rice,  indigo, 
cocoa,  corn,  tobacco,  and  nearly  every  species  of  inter- 
tropical  products." 

"  They  are  well  watered,  then,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,  and  can  boast  of  some  fine  forests." 

"  Are  they  well  supplied  with,  animals  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Wild  hogs,  llamas,  horses  ^  and  cattle  are  numerous," 
said  his  uncle,  "  the  first  named  animal  attaining  a  great 
size,  and  proving  a  most  formidable  foe  to  the  hunter." 

"The  climate  is  very  fine,  is  it  not?"  asked  the 
Professor. 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  returned  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  the  heat  being 
tempered  by  the  trade  winds." 

"  What  are  the  principal  islands  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  They  are  Guahan,  Rota,  Aguijan,  Saypan,  and  Tinian." 

"  There  are  some  wonderful  ruins  on  Tinian,"  observed 
the  Professor. 

"  Yes ;  they  were  discovered  by  Lord  Anson,  in  1742." 

"  There  are  several  volcanoes  in  the  group,  I  believe," 
said  Chester. 

"  Those  on  Asuncion  and  Pagon,  in  the  north,  are  well 
known,"  rejoined  his  uncle. 

"  The  seat  of  government  is  at  San  Ignacio  de  Agafia, 
is  it  not  ?"  asked  the  Captain. 

"  It  is,"  was  the  reply,  "  on  the  island  of  Guahan,  the 
most  southerly  of  the  group." 

"  Pearls  are  found  among  the  islands,  I  have  seen  it 
staled,"  said  Chester. 

"There  is  quite  an  extensive  pearl  fishery  on  the  coast 
of  Saypan,"  said  his  uncle,  "and  many  are  secured 
elsewhere." 

"  This  group  of  islands  has  one  or  two  other  names, 
has  it  not?"  asked  Eu<rene. 


MICRONESIA. 


659 


"  Yes,  it  was  named  Mariana,  in  honor  of  a  Spanish 
queen ;  and  years  ago  the  group  was  called  the  Lazarus 
Islands." 

"  They  ought  to  stick  to  Mariana,"  said  Chester ;  "  for 
there  are  at  least  two  other  groups  called  Ladrones." 

"  Where  are  they  ? "  asked  his  brother. 


HEAD-DRESS. 

"  One  is  in  China,  at  the  entrance  to  the  bay  of  Canton, 
and  has  long  been  the  resort  of  pirates ;  the  other  is  in 
this  ocean,  about  ten  miles  off  the  coast  of  Colombia." 

At  this  point  the  conversation  was  broken  off,  and, 
owing  to  a  protracted  storm  which  arose  during  the 
night,  was  not  resumed  for  many  days.  At  length,  when 
they  had  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  Bonin  Islands,  the 


660  MICRONESIA. 

* 

Captain  resolved  to  call  there,  and  the  next  morning  the 
yacht  came  to  anchor  in  Port  Lloyd,  on  Peel  Island. 

The  passengers,  accompanied  by  the  Captain,  Mr.  Mor- 
gan, and  several  sailors,  made  an  excursion  through  the 
loveliest  of  these  most  delightful  islands,  and,  two  days 
later,  they  sailed  for  the  Loo  Choo  group. 

Here  they  remained  a  week,  going  pretty  much  over 
the  same  ground  traversed  by  the  party  from  Perry's 
expedition  in  1854,  and  enjoying  themselves  hugely. 

"  I  had  hoped  to  take  you  to  Japan  while  we  were  in 
this  part  of  the  world,"  remarked  the  Captain,  as  they 
were  resting  in  the  shade  of  a  noble  banyan,  on  the 
morning  of  the  last  day  of  their  stay  on  shore ;  "  but, 
alas !  we  shall  have  to  forego  that  pleasure  for  this  time, 
and  make  the  most  of  our  next  place  of  call." 

"And  where  will  that  be  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  port  of  Amoy  in  China,"  was  the  reply. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  CHINA  SEA  AND  INDIAN  OCEAN. 

AT  daylight,  the  next  morning,  the  yacht's  course 
was  laid  for  Amoy  ;  and,  in  due  time,  after  pass- 
ing the  Madjico  Sima  Islands,  and  the  Taiysu  and  Hoa- 
pinsu  clusters,  they  rounded  the  north  end  of  Formosa, 
and  entered  the  Formosa  Channel. 

Formosa  is  a  large  and  important  island  in  the  China 
Sea,  being  separated  from  the  coast  of  China  by  a  broad 
channel.  The  island  contains  15,000  square  miles  of  sur- 
face, and  a  population  of  2,000,000.  It  is  rich  in  minerals, 
gold,  silver,  mercury,  coal,  and  some  copper  being  found. 
The  soil  is  extremely  fertile,  and  yields  abundantly  all 
the  ordinary  crops,  with  sugar-canes,  tobacco,  spices,  and 
some  dye  and  medicinal  woods.  The  exports  are  rice 
and  camphor,  chiefly  ;  the  imports,  silk  and  most  Euro- 
pean and  American  manufactured  goods.  The  Dutch 
early  made  a  settlement  on  the  island,  but  suffered  much 
from  Malays  and  pirates  ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  end  of 
the  last  century  that  it  became,  to  any  great  extent,  sub- 
ject to  Chinese  rule.  The  eastern  and  mountainous  por- 
tion is  inhabited  by  a  warlike  race  of  copper-colored  bar- 
barians, of  whom  the  Chinese  are  in  great  dread,  and 
with  whom  they  are  almost  constantly  at  war.  They  are 
probably  of  Malay  extraction,  wear  their  hair  long,  have 
rings*  in  their  ears,  and  are  clothed  only  with  a  piece  of 
cloth  about  their  loins.  They  dwell  in  bamboo  cottages, 
raised  on  terraces  about  four  feet  high. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  our  friends  on  board 
27  (663) 


664 


THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 


the  Albatross  first  caught  a  glimpse  of  Formosa ;  and  it 
was  not  until  the  next  morning  that  they  entered  the 
harbor  of  Amoy,  and  were  landed  in  the  city,  which  is 
situated  on  an  island  of  the  same  name,  in  the  province 
of  Fokien,  and  about  opposite  the  center  of  Formosa. 

The  city  is  built  upon  rising  ground,  facing  the  harbor, 
which  is  an  excellent  one.  It  contains  many  large  build- 
ings, and  formerly  had  several  considerable  forts,  one  of 
them  not  less  than  1,100  yards  long.  It  is  estimated  to 

be  nearly  nine  miles 
in  circumference. — 
The  population  is  a 
little  more  than 
250,000,  chiefly  em- 
ployed in  trade.  The 
merchants  of  Amoy 
are  reckoned  among 
the  most  enterpris- 
ing in  China.  The 
port  was  opened  to 
the  world  till  1734, 
when  it  was  closed. 
It  was  captured  by 
the  British  in  1841, 
and  by  the  treaty  of 
Nankins;  was  thrown 


open, 


first    to    the 


CHINESE    OF    FORMOSA. 


British,  then  to 
other  nations.  The 
native  merchants  carry  on  an  extensive  trade  along  the 
coast,  and  witli  Formosa,  Manila,  Siam,  and  the  Malay 
Islands.  The  foreign  imports  arc  of  immense  value,* and 
the  exports  arc  very  heavy.  There  is  a  mission  of  the 
Reformed  Church  of  America  at  Amoy,  and  other  mis- 
sions are  established  there. 


THE   CHINA   SEA   AND  INDIAN   OCEAN.  665 

Mr.  Pierpont's  business  detained  the  yacht  in  this  port 
for  about  two  days,  during  which  time  the  Professor  and 
the  brothers  had  an  opportunity  for  exploring  the  city 
and  island,  after  which  they  departed  for  Victoria,  on  the 
island  of  Hong-Kong.  Here  they  were  detained  for  two 
days  more,  and  then  the  Albatross  was  headed  for 
Singapore. 

Soon  thoy  had  the  Philippines  on  their  larboard  quar- 
ter, and  Eugene,  when  a  fitting  opportunity  offered,  asked 
his  uncle  regarding  them. 

"  They  form  a  large  and  important  archipelago,"  said 
Mr.  Pierpont,  "  consisting  of  about  1,200  islands,  without 
including  the  Babuyan  and  Bashee  Islands  on  the  north, 
or  the  Sooloo  archipelago  on  the  south.  Magellan  dis- 
covered this  group  in  1521,  but  it  was  not  till  the  year 
1565  that  they  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  Spanish. 
The  principal  islands  are  Luconia,  Mindanao,  Panay, 
Palawan,  and  others.  Together  the  islands  embrace  an 
area  of  120,000  square  miles.  Their  discoverer  was  killed 
here  in  1521,  after  having  named  them  for  Philip  II.  of 
Spain.  The  population  is  now  7,451,352,  and  is  made  up 
of  mixed  races,  consisting  of  Europeans,  natives,  negroes, 
half-casts,  and  Chinese." 

"  A  fearfully  destructive  typhoon  swept  over  the  islands 
on  the  7th  of  last  November,"  remarked  the  Profess  >r. 
"  Many  human  lives  were  lost,  hundreds  of  cattle  per- 
ished, and  thousands  of  buildings,  including  churches  and 
convents,  were  destroyed."' 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  the  typhoons  arc  terrible 
in  these  seas  ;  but  the  recuperative  powers  of  the  islands 
are  wonderful,  and^  in  a  marvclously  short  time  after  a 
hurricane,  all  signs  of  the  ruin  it  has  wrought  have  dis- 
appeared, and  all  is  as  if  it  had  never  been." 

"As  you  have  visited  the  Philippines,  uncle,  perhaps 
you  have  also  been  upon  the  neighboring  island  of  Bor- 
neo?" said  Eugene,  in  an  inquiring  tone. 


666 


THE   CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN   OCEAN. 


AMOY. 


"Yes,  I 
have  seen 
something  of 
that  vast 
island,"  re- 
plied Mr. 
Pier pont ; 
"  and  it  is  not 
too  much  to 
say  that,  even 
if  I  had  spent 
years  upon 
its  shores,  I 
could  still 
have  found 
much  to  in- 
terest me,  and 
excite  my 
wonder  and 
admiration." 

"Next  to 
Australia,  it 
is  the  largest 
island  in  the 
world,  is  it 
not?"  asked 
Eugene. 

"With  the 
possible  ex- 
ception of 
Papua,  it  is," 
was  the  reply. 
"Its  greatest 
length  is  850 
miles,  by  a 
width,  ex- 


THE   CHINA   SEA    AND    INDIAN   OCEAN.  667 

cepting  toward  the  north,  of  680  miles,  and  it  has  a 
surface  area  of  nearly  300,000  square  miles." 

"  The  coast  of  this  great  island,"  continued  Mr.  Pier- 
pont,  "  is  almost  everywhere  beset  by  vast  reefs  and  low 
islets.  Though  mountainous  in  many  places,  especially 
toward  the  north,  the  general  aspect  of  the  land  is  that 
of  low  marshy  plains,  covered  with  interminable  forests 
of  mangroves,  and  other  dense  woods ;  and  though  we 
know  the  interior  contains  high  regions  and  lofty  moun- 
tains, from  whence  the  numerous  rivers  descend,  as  yet 
our  knowledge  is  imperfect  on  this  point.  The  ranges  of 
which  we  have  positive  information  rise  from  2,050  feet 
to  13,698  feet  in  height,  the  eminence  of  Kina-Balu  giving 
the  last  measurement. 

"  The  climate  is  remarkably  salubrious  for  an  equato- 
rial island.  The  vegetation  is  rich,  luxuriant,  and  varied. 
The  most  striking  productions  are  the  wonderful  pitcher 
plants,  which  here  attain  their  highest  development  in 
form  and  color.  They  grow  on  the  mountains,  and  vary 
greatly  in  size  and  appearance.  The  pitcher  of  one  spe- 
cies will  hold  two  quarts  of  water.  There  are  fully  one 
hundred  species  of  ferns  on  the  island,  and  many  varie- 
ties of  the  orchid.  Perhaps  the  finest  fruit  in  the  world 
is  furnished  by  the  durion  tree.  A  spiny  oval  mass  con- 
tains the  fruit,  in  the  form  of  a  cream-colored  pulp. 
Other  fruit  trees  are  very  abundant. 

"Three  nations  of  people,  irrespective  of  the  Euro- 
peans, who  now  claim  possession  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
soil,  are  inhabitants  of  Borneo,  —  the  Chinese,  the  Ma- 
lays, and  the  Dyaks ;  the  first  are,  however,  rather  visit- 
ors than  possessors.  The  Malays  are  conquerors,  who, 
crossing  from  Sumatra  and  the  peninsula,  four  or  more 
centuries  ago,  have  established  themselves  in  the  coun- 
try by  force  of  arms,  their  possessions  lying,  however, 
only  along  the  shore.  The  whole  of  the  interior  is  in  the 


6G8  THE   CHINA    SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 

possession  of  the  aborigines,  the  Dyaks,  of  Whom  there 
are  several  tribes,  the  Biajow,  the  Kajan,  and  Marat  being 
the  most  important. 

"  Sarawak,  a  large  district  or  state  on  the  northwest 
coast,  is  now  under  an  English  ruler,  and,  by  the  acquisi- 
tion of  Labuan  as  a  colony,  British  influence  is  para- 
mount in  this  part  of  the  island." 

"  From  what  I  have  heard  of  them,"  said  Chester,  "  I 
think  that  the  Dyaks  must  be  an  interesting  people." 

"  They  are  so,"  returned  his  uncle,  "  especially  the  Sea 
Dyaks." 

"  Then  there  are  both  Sea  and  Land  Dyaks  ?" 

"  Yes ;  there  are  some  nine  or  ten  branches  of  the  lat- 
ter, each  of  which  is  divided  into  a  considerable  number 
of  tribes.  These  people  are  continually  shifting  their 
quarters,  in  search  of  new  lands  for  cultivation  ;  and  the 
result  is  that  they  quarrel  with  each  other,  fight,  are  dis- 
persed, and  thus  form  new  tribes  in  the  localities  where 
they  settle.  But  they  seldom  venture  to  sea,  either  for 
piracy  or  trade,  and,  in  this  respect,  are  very  different 
from  the  Sea  Dyaks,  whose  existence  is  essentially  a  nau- 
tical one. 

"  The  Sea  Dyaks  are  a  fairer,  a  finer,  and  a  more  inter- 
esting people  than  those  of  the  land ;  they  are  also  about 
three  times  as  numerous.  They  are  preeminently  a  na- 
tion of  rovers,  and,  until  quite  recently,  lived  by  piracy, 
and  carried  out  to  the  fullest  extent  the  abominable  prac- 
tice of  head-hunting." 

"  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  of  their  peculiar  hunting 
expeditions,"  said  Eugene ;  "  but  what  they  wanted  a 
collection  of  heads  for  was  more  than  I  could  make  out." 

"  They  secured  the  heads  under  the  belief  that  every 
person  decapitated  would  become  the  slave  of  the  hunter 
in  the  next  world,"  explained  his  uncle. 

"  Gracious !  what  an  idea.  And  yet  you  say  they  are 
a  much  finer  race  than  the  Land  Dyaks  ?  " 


THE   CHINA    SEA   AND   INDIAN    OCEAN.  671 

"  They  are  taller  and  much  fairer  in  complexion.  The 
skin  of  the  Land  Dyak  is  brown,  whereas  that  of  the  Sea 
Dyak  is  many  shades  lighter,  and  resembles  the  color  of 
new  leather  —  a  hue  which  admirably  suits  the  well-de- 
veloped forms  of  these  people.  They  are  very  proud  of 
their  complexion,  and  the  women  are  fond  of  an  excuse 
for  throwing  off  the  jackets  which  they  usually  wear,  in 
order  to  exhibit  their  smooth,  satiny  skins,  polished  and 
shining,  as  if  of  new  bronze. 

"  The  ordinary  dress  of  the  men  is  simple  enough,  con- 
sisting merely  of  the  chawat,  or  slight  strip  of  cloth, 
which  is  twisted  round  the  loins  in  such  a  manner  that 
one  end  falls  in  front,  and  the  other  behind.  The  chawat 
is  often  very  gayly  colored.  Sometimes  they  wear  a 
sarong,  or  short  petticoat  of  cotton  cloth,  which  reaches 
from  the  waist  to  a  little  above  the  knees.  Young  men 
who  can  afford  the  expense  wear  many  ornaments.  From 
the  elbow  downward,  both  arms  are  covered  with  rings 
of  brass,  and  above  the  joint  are  usually  two  broad  arm- 
lets of  snowy  shells,  which  contrast  admirably  with  the 
yellow-brown  skin. 

"The  women  dress  somewhat  like  the  men;  but,  in- 
stead of  the  sarong,  they  generally  wear  a  rather  longer 
petticoat,  called  a  bedang.  When  obliged  to  go  out  in 
the  sun,  they  wear  a  jacket,  without  sleeves  and  open  in 
front ;  but  as  this  hides  the  glossy  brown  skin  on  which 
they  so  pride  themselves,  they  lay  it  aside  when  in  the 
house.  In  youth  they  are  remarkable  for  their  slender 
and  graceful  forms  and  attractive  faces.  But,  alas ! 
after  a  female  has  passed  the  age  of  twenty,  she  begins  to 
deteriorate,  and  at  thirty  is  an  old  woman.  Nowhere  in 
all  my  wanderings  have  I  seen  a  face  more  pleasing  in 
expression  than  among  the  young  Dyak  girls.  The  eyes 
are  black,  clear,  and  expressive,  and  the  lashes  singularly 
long.  Their  chief  point  of  beauty,  however,  is  their  hair, 


672 


THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 


which  is  black,  wonderfully  thick  and  shining,  and  so 
long  that  when  allowed  to  flow  down  the  back,  it  nearly 
touches  the  ground.  Of  this  they  are  inordinately  vain, 
and,  when  engaged  in  conversation,  are  fond  of  flinging 
their  shining  tresses  from  side  to  side  by  coquettish 
tossings  of  the  head.  Unfortunately,  the  fever,  which 
is  so  prevalent  in  many  parts  of  the  island,  causes  the 

hair  to  fall  off,  so 
that  many  a  young 
girl  is  thus  deprived 
of  her  chief  orna- 
ment." 

"They  have  a 
singular  style  of 
architecture,  if  I  re- 
member rightly," 
observed  the  Captain. 
"  Their  architec- 
ture is  very  peculiar," 
returned  Mr.  Pier- 
punt.  "In  the  first 
place,  the  houses  are 
all  built  on  posts, 
some  of  them  twenty 
feet  in  height,  and 
the  mode  of  access 
to  them  is  by  means 
of  a  notched  pole,  which  serves  the  purpose  of  a  ladder. 
The  chief  dwelling  in  every  village,  and,  indeed,  practi- 
cally the  village  itself,  is  the  'long  house,'  which  is  of 
enormous  proportions.  I  measured  one  of  them,  and 
found  it  to  be  545  feet  long,  and,  on  inquiry,  learned 
that  it  was  inhabited  by  512  persons.  Throughout  the 
entire  length  of  the  house  runs  the  broad  veranda,  or 
common  room,  which  is  open  to  all;  and  at  the  side 


A    YOUNG    DYAK. 


DYAK   QIKLS. 


THE   CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN   OCEAN. 


675 


are  private  rooms  for  the  different  families,  as  many  as 
seventy  or  eighty  such  rooms  being  sometimes  found  in 
one  house.  Although  the  veranda  is  common  ground, 


and  here  the  members  of  the  community  go  through 
their  various  sedentary  occupations,  each  family  occupies 
only  the  portion  opposite  their  own  rooms,  and  no  one 
would  think  of  entering  another's  apartments  uninvited. 


676  THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 

"  The  chief,  or  Orang-kaya,  of  the  long  house  has  a 
much  larger  room  than  the  others,  and  the  space  in  front 
of  his  room  is  considered  to  be  devoted  t6  the  use  of  the 
lesser  chiefs  and  councilors,  and,  although  free  to  all,  is 
frequented  almost  entirely  by  the  old  men  and  warriors  of 
acknowledged  courage." 

"  I  suppose  Sumatra  is  even  more  interesting  than 
Borneo  ?  "  said  Eugene,  in  an  inquiring  tone. 

"  Well,"  returned  his  uncle,  slowly,  "  that  is  a  matter 
of  opinion.  Perhaps  the  best  way  to  put  it  is  to  say  that 
there  is  much  that  is  interesting  in  each  that  is  not  com- 
mon to  both." 

"  I  think  that 's  just  it,"  exclaimed  Chester.  "  For 
instance,  Borneo,  with  all  her  long  houses  and  broad 
verandas,  has  no  such  picturesque  villages  as  may  be 
seen  in  Sumatra." 

"  There  you  are  quite  right,"  replied  his  uncle.  "  The 
architecture  of  Sumatra  is  very  different  from  that  of 
Borneo,  and  there  is  really  something  quite,  pleasing 
about  it,  as  there  is  in  the  dress  of  the  people." 

"  The  houses  are  raised  on  posts  or  pillars,  like  those 
of  the  neighboring  islands,  are  they  not  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  Yes ;  but  usually  not  more  than  from  four  to  eight 
feet  from  the  ground.  Still,  in  some  districts,  they  are 
erected  in  trees.  Those  of  the  poorer  classes  are  made 
of  bamboo,  and  thatched  with  grass ;  but  the  houses  of 
the  more  wealthy  are  framed  of  wood,  and  the  sides  en- 
closed by  sheets  of  bark." 

"  It  is  thought  by  some  that  Sumatra  at  one  time 
formed  a  part  of  the  Malay  peninsula,  is  it  not  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  I  do  not  know  as  to  that,"  replied  Mr.  Picrpont. 

"  According  to  Wallace,"  observed  the  Professor, "  both 
Sumatra  and  Borneo  were  formerly  connected  with  the 
peninsula." 


THE   CHINA   SEA    AND   INDIAN   OCEAN.  679 

"  Well,  whatever  it  once  was,"  said  Eugene,  "  it  is  a 
large  and  populous  island  now." 

"  True,"  rejoined  his  uncle,  "  for  its  extreme  length  is 
1,050  miles,  its  greatest  breadth  250  miles,  its  area  160,- 
000  square  miles,  and  its  population  is  estimated  at 
nearly  4,000,000." 

"  The  Dutch  claim  the  greater  part  of  it,  do  they  not  ?  " 

"They  hold  possession  of  a  little  more  than  three- 
fourths  of  the  island,  a  large  portion  directly,  and  the 
rest  through  dependent  native  rulers." 

"There's  a  grand  mountain  range  in  the  west,"  ob- 
served Chester, "  the  result,  I  suppose,  of  volcanic  action  ?" 

"  Yes ;  and  even  now  there  are  five  active  volcanoes. 
The  mountain  range  is  near  the  western  coast,  and  rises 
to  a  height  of  from  2,500  to  5,000  feet,  with  many  lofty 
peaks,  some  of  which  reach  an  altitude  of  nearly  15,000 
feet.  The  portion  of  the  country  lying  eastward  of  the 
great  range  is  a  vast,  low,  and  comparatively  level  forest 
region,  watered  by  numerous  and  extensive  rivers.  The 
formation  of  this  vast  plain  is  comparatively  recent,  and 
the  process  is  still  going  on,  while  the  western  coast  is 
believed  to  be  gradually  wearing  away." 

"  How  about  the  climate  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  The  climate  varies  according  to  the  elevation  of  the 
land,  from  the  scorching  plains  of  a  tropical  region  to 
the  freezing  cold  of  an  arctic  latitude." 

"  There  are  plenty  of  wild  animals,  if  travelers  are  to 
be  believed,"  remarked  Chester. 

"  Yes,  the  wild  animals  are  very  numerous,  and  in  no 
part  of  the  east  does  the  tiger  attain  more  formidable 
dimensions;  the  elephant,  hippopotamus,  rhinoceros, 
bear,  boar,  and  varieties  of  deer,  monkeys,  and  many 
other  kinds  of  wild  and  savage  beasts  haunt  the  woods 
and  plains.  Birds  and  insects,  too,  of  all  sizes  and  colors, 
literally  swarm." 


680  THE    CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN    OCEAN. 

"  What  are  some  of  the  products,  uncle  ?  " 

"  Rice,  sugar,  betel,  cocoanut,  millet,  coffee,  sago,  all 
kinds  of  spice  and  pepper  grow  profusely,  while  tobacco 
and  the  cotton  plant  are  generally  cultivated.  Then  the 
mineral  wealth  of  the  island  is  remarkable,  gold  being 
extensively  found,  as  well  as  iron,  tin,  copper,  sulphur, 
and  a  large  number  of  precious  stones." 

"Gold  and  precious  stones!"  exclaimed  Eugene. 
"Where  do  they  find  the  gold  ?" 

"  In  the  beds  of  the  rivers,  particularly  the  Indragiri, 
the  Jambi,  and  their  tributaries." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Chester,  "  the  Batang-Hari  is  tribu- 
tary to  the  Jambi  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  much  gold  has  been  found  in  its  bed." 

"  Many  of  the  inhabitants  live  in  floating  houses  on 
those  great  streams,  do  they  not  ? "  asked  the  Professor. 

"  Yes,"  responded  Mr.  Picrpont ;  "  and  on  the  Batang- 
Hari,  near  the  Jambi,  I  have  seen  quite  a  collection  of 
them  —  a  regular  village,  in  fact.  And  floating  houses 
on  the  Jambi  are  a  common  sight." 

"  The  dwellers  in  these  aquatic  houses  are  fishermen,  I 
suppose  ? " 

"  Yes,  mostly  ;  and  they  make  a  fair  living,  too,  for  all 
the  streams  swarm  with  fish  of  many  varieties." 

"  As  I  remember,  there  are  quite  a  number  of  islands 
on  the  coast,"  observed  the  Captain,  presently. 

"  Yes ;  at  some  distance  off  the  western  coast  is  a 
chain  of  islands,  comprising  several  of  considerable  size, 
including  Pulo  Babi  or  Hog  Island,  Pulo  Nias,  Sibiru, 
Sipora,  the  Poggi  Islands,  and  Eugano.  Most  of  them 
are  high,  well  wooded,  and  thickly  inhabited.  The  most 
important  islands  off  the  eastern  coast  are  Banca  and 
Rupat,  the  latter  of  which  is  separated  from  the  main 
island  by  a  narrow  channel." 

"  The  native  Sumatrans,  the  aborigines,  are  hardly  to 


THE    CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN    OCEAN. 


683 


be  seen  on  the  coast,  I  suppose  ? "  said  Eugene,  inquiringly. 
"  No ;  they  have  been  driven  by  the  Malays  to  the  inte- 
rior, and  are  mostly  a  peaceable  and  sober  people,  while 


the  mixed  tribes  along  the  coast  partake  more  of  the 
character  of  the  Malay  stock,  from  which  they  are 
sprung." 

"  But,  uncle,"  said  Chester,  "  I  have  seen  the  state- 


G84  THE    CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN    OCEAN. 

ment  that  Sumatra  itself,  in  all  probability,  was  the  cra- 
dle of  the  Malay  race." 

"  "Well,"  returned  his  uncle,  "  if  Wallace's  surmise, 
that  the  island  once  formed  part  of  the  main  land,  is  true, 
that  may  have  been  the  case.  But,  if  so,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  the  tribes  in  the  interior,  especially 
those  whose  origin,  even  to  this  day,  is  involved  in 
obscurity  ?  " 

"  I  'in  sure  I  don't  know,"  confessed  his  nephew. 

"  There  is  said  to  be  a  fine-looking  race  about  Acheen," 
observed  the  Captain. 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  they  are  taller,  stouter, 
and  of  darker  complexion  than  the  other  tribes,  and  are 
supposed  to  have  an  infusion  of  Hindoo  blood.  The 
Bataks,  immediately  south  of  them,  and  who  are  said  to 
be  cannibals,  are  smaller,  of  lighter  complexion,  and  alto- 
gether a  different  race." 

"  I  suppose  there  are  a  great  many  Europeans  on  the 
island  ? "  said  Eugene. 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  entire  number  in  the  country 
would  hardly  exceed  2,000." 

"  Gracious !  I  should  think  the  natives  would  rise  and 
drive  them  out." 

"  Ah !  but  they  are  forbidden  to  bear  arms,  you  see." 

"  1  see,  and  acknowledge  the  wisdom  of  the  Dutch." 

"  Is  not  Sumatra  a  great  country  for  tree-ferns,  as  well 
as  bamboos,  rattans,  and  other  kinds  of  reeds  ? "  asked 
Chester. 

"  Yes,  there  are  immense  tree-ferns,  and  the  greatest 
profusion  of  reeds,  which  they  use  for  every  conceivable 
purpose.  Many,  perhaps  most,  of  their  bridges  are  made 
of  Indian  reeds,  and  some  of  them  arc  truly  remarkable; 
structures." 

"  It  won't  be  long,  I  suppose,  before  the  Dutch  will  be 
in  full  possession  of  the  island,"  observed  the  Captain, 
after  a  pause. 


THE   CHINA   SEA    AND   INDIAN    OCEAN.  687 

"  No,"  returned  Mr.  Pierpont ;  "  and  perhaps,  on  the 
whole,  it  will  be  as  well ;  for,  as  far  as  my  judgment 
goes,  the  native  independent  rulers  are  a  bad  lot." 

The  Captain  being  called  forward  at  this  point,  the 
conversation  was  diverted  to  other  channels,  and,  during 
the  remaining  days  of  the  passage,  other  matters  com- 
manded their  attention. 

At  length  the  brothers  awoke  one  morning  to  find  the 
steamer  no  longer  under  headway,  and,  upon  going  on 
deck,  found  they  were  in  the  harbor  of  Singapore. 

This  important  city  is  situated  on  an  island  of  the  same 
name,  which  has  a  population  of  more  than  100,000.  The 
island  lies  off  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Malay  penin- 
sula, from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  strait  forty  miles 
long  and  from  one-half  to  two  miles  wide.  It  is  twenty- 
five  miles  long  from  cast  to  west,  and  twelve  miles  wide, 
with  an  area  of  not  far  from  225  square  miles.  Near  the 
coast  the  country  is  flat  and  swampy,  and  covered  with 
mangrove  trees,  but  inland  it  is  hilly,  with  some  emi- 
nencea  500  feet  high.  There  are  a  few  small  streams, 
and  in  the  lowlands  the  soil  is  rich.  Nutmegs,  ginger, 
pepper,  cloves,  gambier,  tapioca,  and  sugar-cane  are  raised. 
The  climate  is  very  healthful  and  agreeable,  and  light 
rains  are  frequent.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  tigers 
cross  the  strait  to  the  island,  and  carry  off,  on  an  aver- 
age, a  Chinaman  every  day.  Of  the  inhabitants,  about 
55,000  are  Chinese,  and  only  1,400  Europeans.  Malay  is 
the  language  commonly  spoken. 

The  city,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  straits  settle- 
ments, is  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  and  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  93,000.  It  is  divided  by  a  stream  called 
the  Singapore  River,  on  the  west  side  of  which  is  the 
Chinese  quarter,  where  all  the  great  mercantile  ware- 
houses and  counting-houses  are  situated.  On  the  east 
side  are  the  public  buildings,  churches,  hotels,  and  the 


688  THE   CHINA   SEA    AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 

residences  of  most  of  the  Europeans ;  and  still  further 
east  is  the  Malay  quarter.  On  Pearl  Hill  is  a  fortress 
which  commands  the  Chinese  quarter,  and  on  another 
elevation,  back  of  the  European  district,  is  the  govern- 
ment house,  a  stately  building  of  cut  stone.  In  the 
suburbs  are  many  fine  residences,  and  there  are  splendid 
drives,  ample  parade  grounds,  and  a  botanical  garden 
with  a  rare  collection  of  tropical  plants. 

Singapore  is  a  free  port.  The  harbor,  which  is  divided 
into  two  by  a  tongue  of  land,  is  capacious,  and  the  water 
is  deep.  In  consequence  of  its  advantageous  position,  its 
commerce  is  enormous  —  the  largest,  indeed,  of  any  port 
in  this  part  of  the  world,  the  annual  imports  being  about 
150,000,000,  and  the  exports  not  far  from  $45,000,000. 

For  two  days  the  Albatross  lay  at  anchor  in  the  harbor, 
during  which  time  the  passengers  remained  on  shore, 
making  themselves  as  familiar  as  possible  with  every 
part  of  the  city  and  its  immediate  surroundings.  On  the 
morning  of  the  third  day,  somewhat  reluctantly,  they  re- 
paired on  board,  when  the  yacht  steamed  through  the 
Strait  of  Malacca.  In  due  time,  she  rounded  the  north- 
ern end  of  Sumatra,  and  her  course  was  laid  for  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope. 

Just  to  the  north  were  the  Nicobar  Islands,  and  at  a 
greater  distance  the  Andaman  chain ;  but  Eugene's  mind 
still  dwelt  on  Singapore. 

"  It  was  once  the  capital  of  a  Malay  kingdom,  was  it 
not,  uncle  ?"  he  asked,  after  receiving  answers  to  several 
other  questions. 

"A  city,"  replied  his  uncle,  "which  was  the  capital  of 
such  a  kingdom,  and  which  bore  the  same  name,  occupied 
the  same  site  in  the  twelfth  century  ;  but  a  century  later 
it  was  captured  by  a  king  of  Java,  when  the  royal  resi- 
dence was  removed  to  Malacca,  and  it  gradually  fell  into 
ctecay.  So  that,  in  1819,  when  the  British  built  a  factory 


THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN.  689 

on  the  site,  the  whole  island  had  only  one  hundred  and 
fifty  inhabitants." 

"  Singapore  —  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  ?  " 

"  Lion's  town ;  but  perhaps  it  ought  to  be  tiger's  town 
now." 

"  How  did  the  British  obtain  full  possession  of  the 
island  at  last  ? "  asked  Chester. 

"  In  the  year  1824,"  replied  his  uncle,  "  the  sultan  of 
Johore,  in  consideration  of  $60,000  and  a  life  annuity  of 
$24,000,  transferred  the  sovereignty  and  fee  simple  of 
the  island,  and  all  the  seas  and  islands  within  ten  geo- 
graphical miles  to  the  British  government ;  and,  although 
it  seems  an  extravagant  price,  the  English  secured  a  good 
bargain." 

'-  Ah  !  is  n't  it  a  delightful  spot  ?  And  then  the  cli- 
mate ! "  exclaimed  Eugene. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  returned  his  uncle.  "  The  island  is 
regarded  by  the  natives  as  the  paradise  of  India,  the 
home  of  plenty,  and  the  abode  of  health." 

"  There  are  quite  a  number  of  groups  and  islands  in 
this  part  of  the  Indian  Ocean,"  remarked  Chester,  a  few 
days  later,  while,  as  usual,  they  were  reclining  at  their 
ease  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Captain ;  "  to  the  south  of  us  are 
the  Compton  Rocks,  Ady,  Candu,  and  Egmont  Island, 
and  the  Chagos  group,  while  to  the  north  are  the  Maldive 
and  the  Lacardive  Islands,  and  Ceylon." 

"  Ah,  Ceylon ! "  exclaimed  Eugene.  "  That  is  a  won- 
derful island." 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  Captain ;  "  but  for  any  informa- 
tion regarding  it  I  think  you  will  have  to  look  to  the 
Professor." 

"  Well,  Professor,  what  can  you  tell  us  about  Ceylon  ?  " 

"  Ceylon,"  smiled  their  friend,  "  is  an  island  of  very 
great  importance.  It  lies,  as  you  know,  off  the  southern 


690  THE   CHINA   SEA    AND-  INDIAN    OCEAN. 

coas*t  of  Hindostan,  is  270  miles  in  length,  and  nearly  100 
in  average  width,  and  contains  an  area  of  24,000  square 
miles.  The  island  is  extremely  mountainous  in  its  cen- 
tral parts,  and  flat  and  well-wooded  on  its  shores.  Adam's 
Peak,  as  it  is  called,  the  highest  mountain  in  the  island, 
is  8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  spot  celebra- 
ted in  Hindoo  mythology  as  the  place  from  which  Buddha 
ascended  to  heaven,  his  last  earthly  trace  being  left  on 
the  apex  of  the  mountain  in  the  form  of  a  gigantic  foot- 
print deeply  stamped  into  the  rock.  All  the  animals 
common  to  India  are  to  be  found  in  Ceylon,  the  elephant, 
in  particular,  being  universally  met  with,  wandering  about 
the  streets  and  roads  with  unrestrained  liberty.  In  no 
part  of  the  world  is  the  sagacity  of  this  animal  so  remark- 
ably developed  as  on  this  island,  and  nowhere  else  are 
they  found  so  large,  some  measuring  sixteen  feet  in 
height." 

"  How  long  is  it  since  the  island  first  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Europeans  ?  "  asked  Eugene. 

"  It  was  taken  by  the  Portuguese  in  1505,"  replied  the 
Professor.  "  They  held  possession  of  it  for  a  century, 
when  the  Dutch  took  it  from  them,  the  British  finally 
wresting  it  from  Holland,  and  erecting  it  into  a  separate 
government  or  presidency." 

"  What  is  the  population  ?  "  asked  Chester. 

"  Not  far  from  2,500,000,"  was  the  answer. 

"In  mentioning  the  islands  to  the  south  of  us,  Cap- 
tain," said  Eugene,  presently,  "  I  noticed  you  left  out  St. 
Brandon,  Rodriqu<$  Isle,  Mauritius  or  Isle  of  France,  and 
Bourbon  or  Reunion." 

"  Yes,"  assented, the  Captain,  "  and  so  I  did  the  Isle  de 
Littboa,  Tromelin,  and  a  dozen  other  isles  and  groups, 
and  for  the  simple  reason  that  they  arc  not  in  this  part 
of  the  ocean." 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Eugene,  "I  should  like  very  much 


THE   CHINA   SEA    AND   INDIAN    OCEAN.  691 

to  hear  something  about  the  isle  that  was  the  scene-  of 
Bernard  in  de  Saint-Pierre's  '  Paul  and  Virginia.'  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  Professor,  "  I  can  tell  you  this  much : 
Mauritius,  which  is  about  500  miles  to  the  east  of  Mada- 
gascar, belongs  to  Great  Britain,  and  has  an  area  of  676 
square  miles.  It  is  exceedingly  picturesque,  having 
irregular  mountains,  with  bold  and  grand  outlines,  rising 
into  points  and  pinnacles,  some  of  them  to  an  elevation 
of  2,800  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  regarded  as  the  port  of 
Reunion,  upon  which  island  it  almost  wholly  depends  for 
provisions,  producing  itself  only  wheat,  maize,  yams,  and 
sugar.  The,  exports  consist  of  coffee,  cotton,  indigo,  raw 
sugar,  and  cloves.  The  population  is  more  than  480,000, 
of  whom  some  15,000  are  whites,  the  rest  being  Hindoos, 
negroes,  and  what  are  known  as  hill-coolies.  The  island 
was  discovered  by  the  Portuguese  in  1505,  and  in  1598  it 
it  was  taken  by  the  Dutch,  who  named  it  in  honor  of 
Prince  Maurice.  The  French  took  possession  of  it  in 
1715,  and  called  it  Isle  de  France.  It  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  British  in  1810,  and  their  possession  of  it  was  con- 
firmed by  the  peace  treaties  of  1814  and  1815." 

"  You  mentioned  Madagascar,  Professor,"  said  Chester. 
"  I  have  felt  considerable  interest  in  that  great  island 
since  its  recent  brave  struggle  with  France." 

"  And  is  the  sfruggle  over,  then  ?  "  asked  his  uncle,  in 
some  surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  returned  Chester ;  "  and  according  to  an 
item  I  saw  in  an  English  newspaper  at  Singapore,  in  the 
treaty  of  peace  just  concluded  at  Antananarivo,  the  capi- 
tal of  Madagascar,  France  waives  all  claim  to  a  protect- 
orate over  the  island.  Madagascar  agrees,  however  to 
pay,  and  France  agrees  to  accept,  12,000,000  for  a  release 
which  is  to  cover  all  foreign  claims  against  Madagascar, 
both  those  antedating  the  war  just  closed,  and  those 
growing  out  of  it,  France  to  occupy  Tamatave  until  the 
money  is  paid." 


692  THE   CHINA   SEA    AND   INDIAN    OCEAN. 

"  I  wish,  for  your  sakes,  we  might  pay  the  great  island 
a  brief  visit,"  said  Mr.  Pierpont,  "  for  its  general  appear- 
ance is  beautiful  in  the  extreme,  the  surface  of  the  coun- 
try being  diversified  by  a  great  variety  of  scenery,  lofty 
hills,  and  fertile  valleys,  the  whole  covered  with  every 
description  of  vegetation  and  immense  forests." 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  Chester,  "  the  vegetation  is  most 
remarkable,  I  know,  and  there  are  some  wonders  in  the 
way  of  plants.  How  I  should  like  to  secure  a  specimen 
of  the  lace-leaf,  and  for  once  quench  my  thirst  from  a 
traveler's  tree ! " 

"  I  would  like  much  to  indulge  you  in  your  laudable 
desires,  gentlemen,"  smiled  the  Captain ;  "  but  the  time 
is  getting  short,  and  they  are  anxiously  expecting  us  at 
home." 

"  Oh !  home,  by  all  means,  now,"  exclaimed  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  and  when  we  reach  Cape  Town,  I  shall  feel  that 
we  are  almost  there." 

"  At  all  events,  we  shall  then  be  on  the  waters  of  the 
Atlantic  again,  and  that's  something  toward  it,"  said  the 
Captain,  as  he  hastened  to  join  Jasper  Morgan  and  the 
second  mate. 

In  due. time,  after  a  pleasant  run,  they  doubled  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  entered  Table  Bay,  where  the 
yacht  remained  at  anchor  for  thirty-six  Tiours. 

Of  course  the  passengers  seized  this  opportunity  to 
visit  Cape  Town,  which  is  rapidly  becoming  an  attractive 
city.  The  botanical  garden  interested  them  most,  and 
here  they  spent  some  hours ;  then,  after  looking  at  the 
canals  and  public  buildings,  and  paying  a  visit  to  the  top 
of  Table  Mountain,  they  returned  to  the  yacht  for  a  late 
supper  and  a  night's  rest.  Tho  next  morning  the  Alba- 
tross steamed  out  of  the  bay,  and,  entering  the  broad 
Atlantic,  turned  her  head  toward  Home. 

In  due  time  St.  Helena  appeared  in  sight,  and,  contrary 


THE  CHINA  SEA  AND  INDIAN  OCEAN.       693 

to  the  expectations  of  the  passengers,  the  yacht  came  to 
anchor  in  Jamestown  harbor. 

The  Captain  now  informed  them  that  he  should  remain 
in  port  for  twenty-four  hours ;  so,  securing  the  company 
of  Jasper  Morgan,  they  hastened  ashore,  and  as  all  good 
pilgrims  to  this  far-famed  isle  have  done  for  the  past  half 
century,  set  out  for  Longwood,  the  last  residence  on  earth 
of  the  first  Napoleon. 

St.  Helena  belongs  to  England.  It  is  a  precipitous  and 
rocky  island  in  mid-ocean,  lying  1,200  miles  off  the  coast 
of  Benguela,  and  occupies  an  area  of  twenty-eight  miles 
in  circumference.  It  is  almost  everywhere  surrounded 
by  rugged  perpendicular  rocks,  rising  from  600  to  2,000 
feet,  here  and  there  broken  through  by  chasms  extending 
to  the  sea-shore.  The  most  important  of  these  rifts  is 
St.  James's  Valley,  on  the  northwest,  terminating  at 
Jamestowrn,  the  only  port  or  harbor  of  the  island,  and  the 
residence  of  all  the  authorities.  The  place  is  so  strongly 
defended,  both  by  nature  and  art,  that,  until  the  recent 
wonderful  improvements  in  heavy  marine  ordnance,  it 
defied  invasion.  The  interior  is  fertile  and  covered  with 
gardens,  orchards,  and  plantations,  and  the  climate  so 
remarkably  healthy  that  invalids,  particularly  from  India, 
retire  to  it  for  the  benefit  of  their  health.  Diana's  Peak, 
the  highest  point  on  the  island,  is  2,693  feet  above  the 
sea.  The  total  population,  including  Europeans,  the  gar- 
rison, Chinese,  and  negroes,  is  about  6,200. 

Probably  we  should  know  little  and  care  less  about  St. 
Helena  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it  was  to  this  lonely 
spot  that,  on  the  16th  of  October,  1815,  the  great  Napo- 
leon was  banished,  and  here  that  he  died  on  the  5th  of 
May,  1821.  But  his  body  docs  not  repose  on  the  islandr 
for  in  1840  it  was  removed  with  great  pomp  to  France, 
and  all  that  St.  Helena  njw  has  to  remember  him  by  is 
the  dilapidated  house  at  Longwood,  where  he  dwelt,  and 
an  empty  grave,  where  for  a  time  his  body  was  buried. 


694  THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN. 

The  party  from  the  Albatross  examined  the  miserable 
stable  that  had  served  the  French  emperor  as  a  dwelling- 
place,  and  thought  of  the  meanness  of  England.  They 
stood  beside  the  empty  grave,  and  remembered  the  vulgar 
brutality  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe.  They  visited  Napoleon's . 
walk,  and  sighed  over  the  selfish  ambition  of  a  great  man  ; 
were  duly  robbed  by  all  with  whom  they  came  in  contact, 
and  at  night  returned  to  the  yacht  thoroughly  disgusted 
with  island  and  people,  and  ready  to  leave  them  and 
return  no  more. 

The  next  morning  they  were  once  more  steaming 
northward,  and  soon  had  passed  Ascension  Island,  and 
werjj  making  toward  St.  Paul.  Having  left  the  latter 
isle  far  astern,  the  Cape  Verdes  were  at  a  considerable 
distance  on  the  right. 

This  group  belongs  to  Portugal,  and  consists  of  ten 
large  and  four  smaller  islands,  their  united  area  being 
about  1,680  square  miles.  They  are  very  mountainous, 
and  one  of  them  contains  a  volcano,  which  rises  to  the 
height  of  9,157  feet.  They  are  exceedingly  fertile,  and 
produce  several  sorts  of  grain,  coffee,  cotton,  indigo,  and 
tobacco,  and  a  great  abundance  of  fruit.  There  are 
plenty  of  cattle,  pigs, .and  goats;  fowls  are  plentiful,  and 
fish  abound  along  the  coasts.  The  inhabitants  are  fre- 
quently reduced  to  great  distress  for  want  of  water. 
Their  principal  occupations  are  agriculture  and  making  a 
preparation  of  salt ;  but  they  manufacture  leather,  linen, 
soap,  and  pottery.  The  population  is  not  far  from  70,000. 

About  eight  degrees  north  of  the  Cape  Verdes  arc  the 
Canary  Isles,  the  more  important  of  which  are  Tencrifl'e, 
(I rand  Canary,  Palma,  Lanzarote,  Fuertevcnture,  Gomera, 
and  Ferro.  The  area  of  the  entire  group  is  2,800  square 
miles.  The  whole  are  extremely  mountainous,  and  in 
some  the  mountains  reach  an  immense  elevation,  their 
verdant  and  fruitful  sides  representing  each  zone  by  the 


THE   CHINA   SEA   AND   INDIAN   OCEAN.  695 

cnaracter  of  the  vegetation  that,  in  succeeding  belts, 
shows  the  products  of  each  clime,  from  the  temperate  to 
the  arctic.  The  highest  of  all  the  peaks  is  that  of  Tcne- 
riffe,  rising  to  12,182  feet.  The  soil  of  the  Canaries  is 
very  fertile,  and  yields  in  plenty  all  the  cereal  crops, 
potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  required  for  the  support  of 
the  inhabitants,  and  for  the  ships  that  occasionally  call 
at  them  for  provisions  ;  but  the  chief  growth  is  the  vine, 
and  the  staple  manufacture  is  wine,  which,  with  brandy 
and  a  few  other  articles,  is  exported  in  great  quantities. 
Among  the  native  birds  are  the  much-prized  canaries. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  this  group  are  the  Madeira 
Islands,  which  belong  to  Portugal.  There  are  only  three 
isles  of  any  consequence,  —  Madeira,  the  most  important, 
Porto  Santo,  and  the  Desertas.  The  principal  island, 
Madeira,  is  about  thirty  mites  long  and  twelve  broad,  and 
the  surface  entirely  consists  of  a  series  of  hills,  rising  one 
above  another,  till  they  culminate  in  mountains  6,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  sides  of  these  mountains  are 
covered  with  the  produce  of  the  island,  of  which  the  vine 
forms  the  principal  object,  and  on  the  cultivation  of 
which  so  much  of  its  prosperity  depends.  Wheat,  barley, 
oats,  coffee,  and  arrow-root  are  grown  in  small  quantities. 

Northwest  of  the  Madeira  Isles,  and  in  the  latitude  of 
Lisbon,  lie  the  Azores,  a  group  of  three  clusters  of  vol- 
canic islands,  rising  bold  and  rugged  from  the  bosom  of 
the  Atlantic.  The  first,  or  most  eastward  cluster,  is 
composed  of  two  islands,  St.  Michael  and  St.  Mary ;  the 
central  cluster  of  five,  St.  Geo/ge,  Pico,  Terceira,  Fayal, 
and  Graciosa;  while  the  third  cluster,  which  is  considera- 
bly apart  to  the  west,  also  contains  two  islands  of  import- 
ance, Corvo  and  Florea. 

But  the  yacht's  course  was  far  to  the  westward  of  all 
these  groups,  and  at  length  they  were  once  more  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  West  Indies. 

"  We  had  hoped  to  pay  another  visit  to  the  groups  and 


696 


THE   CHINA    SEA   AND   INDIAX    OCEAN. 


clusters  about  the  Caribbean  Sea  before  returning  home," 
remarked  Eugene  one  day,  while  they  were  off  the  Lesser 
Antilles.  "  Indeed,  we  were  particularly  anxious  to  see 
the  Leeward  Islands." 


"  If  you  are  ever  in  that  part  of  the  world,"  said  his 
uncle,  "  don't  fail  to  visit  the  islands  of  the  delta  of  the 
Oronoco.  They  will  repay  you  for  your  trouble." 


THE   CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN    OCEAN.'  697 

"What  is  there  particularly  interesting  about  those 
islands  ? " 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,  the  aquatic  dwellings  of  the  in- 
habitants. You  see,  for  many  months  in  each  year,  large 
portions  of  the  islands  are  under  water,  and  so  the  inhal> 
itants  become  lake-dwellers,  and  their  only  means  of 
communicating  with  one  another  and  the  shore,  which  at 
such  times  is  miles  away,  is  by  canoes.  But  they  seem 
to  like  the  life,  for  the  water  beneath  them  and  the  palms 
which  support  their  dwellings  furnish  them  with,  all  the 
food  they  require." 

"  We  must  surely  see  these  aquatic  people  some  day," 
said  Eugene. 

"  Indeed  we  must,"  assented  his  brother. 

On  and  on  steamed  the  Albatross,  every  hour  taking 
them  further  north,  and  nearer  home.  At  length,  one 
beautiful  morning  in  June,  they  passed  the  Light,  and 
entered  the  harbor  of  the  university  town. 

Quickly  the  intelligence  of  their  arrival  must  have 
reached  their  friends,  for  hardly  had  the  yacht  come  to 
anchor  in  her  old  berth  off  Belle  Bock,  when  an  excited 
party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  appeared  on  the  wharf, 
and,  having  filled  two  large  boats,  were  rapidly  pulled 
toward  the  steamer. 

Chester  was  intently  watching  a  graceful  figure  in  the 
foremost  boat,  when  Eugene,  clutching  him  by  the  arm, 
exclaimed : 

"  Brother,  what  ship  is  that  ?   Is  it  not  the  Manxjwld?" 

"  It  is  !  "  exclaimed  Chester,  turning  toward  the  vessel 
indicated ;  "  and  a  boat  is  just  putting  off  from  her  side." 

"  And  there  are  ladies  in  it,"  added  the  Professor. 
"  Mrs.  Beach,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton's  sister  and  daughter, 
no  doubt." 

An  expression  of  satisfaction  came  into  Eugene's  face, 
as  he  said : 


698  THE   CHINA    SEA    AND    INDIAN    OCEAN. 

"  A  voyage  among  the  Isles  of  the  Sea  is  a  very  good 
thing,  but  I  am  not  at  all  sorry  to  get  home." 

A  moment  later  their  friends  had  reached  the  yacht, 
and  were  helped  on  board.  Then  the  greetings  commenced. 

There  were  uncles  and  aunts  and  cousins  to  be  saluted. 
The  president  of  the  university  was  there ;  so  was  Pro- 
fessor Gregory,  and  his  friend,  Captain  Watson  ;  so,  too, 
was  he  whose  guests  they  had  so  long  been, — Warren 
Worthington. 

To  all  these  the  party  from  the  Mansfield  was  speedily 
added,  and  the  greetings  were  renewed. 

Chester  soon  found  himself  by  the  side  of  his  fair 
cousin  Grace,  an'd  Eugene  discovered  that  he  had  much 
to  say  to  Miss  Kilbourn. 

The  president  and  Mr.  Worthington  had  been  convers- 
ing with  Lyman  Pierpont  for  some  time.  Presently  they 
turned,  and  addressing  the  brothers,  Mr.  Worthington 
said : 

"  Well,  young  gentlemen,  the  foundations  of  Worthing- 
ton Hall  arc  laid,  and  the  superstructure  is  rapidly  rising 
toward  completion." 

"  Yes,  thanks  to  you,  my  young  friends,"  added  the 
president,  "  the  first  new  building  is  growing  into  beauti- 
ful proportions,  and  the  post-graduate  department  of  our 
university  is  an  assured  fact." 

"To  bo  instrumental,  even  in  the  slightest  degree, 
toward  accomplishing  so  much  for  our  alma  mater"  re- 
turned Eugene,  "  we  would  gladly  again  spend  a  year  or 
more  among  the  Isles  of  the  Sea." 

THK    END. 


A    000  961  442     1 


